JPHiP Forum
General => Sports => Topic started by: daigong on May 27, 2005, 07:51:54 AM
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Who watches F1, NASCAR, etc.??
I don't but it's always on TV!!
Though I always enjoy the babes...like a certain something something who should sign up for this (http://www.missgrandprix.ca).
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i've been to a few F1 races, they're simply awesome. it's unbelievable how loud it gets. back before our company moved, during racing weekend you could actually hear the screeching engines from our old office, which was about 3 km from the racetrack.
i hope to be able to attend a nascar race soon, that looks fun too.
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I was going to make a racing thread too, but daigong was faster though.
I used to be a huge fan of Formula 1 when I was kid. I always cheered for "Marlboro car", until I learned the team names :)
Formula 1 has been boring since Mika Hakkinen retired and Michael Schumacher dominated the series alone. Until now, when it looks like there would be a real fight for the championship again.
Although I still kinda miss the Hill - Schumacher battle... They kinda hated each other... it was great :D Too bad I was too young for watching legendary duels between Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost.
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BE PREPARED FOR A RANT ON WHY F1 RULZ AND THE OTHERS ALL SUCK BALLS MORE THAN MATT DAMON!
Formula 1 is the absolute king of motorsports!!! The Champ Car Series is decent, but I find NASCAR and the IRL just plain boring. For one thing, unlike NASCAR and the IRL, F1 and Champ Car guys actually have to be able to drive (i.e. turning left AND right). They have to actually know HOW to safely and successfully pass a rival driver ON THE TRACK (instead of JUST in the pit lane). In F1, they have to deal with elevation changes (which the North American racers are just scared shitless to do). F1 drivers are also skilled enough to race in the rain (unless it's a torrential downpour like a thunderstorm or monsoon or something, that would just be stupid), unlike NASCAR and IRL, who pack everything up and call "rain delay" if there's a mild shower a couple of miles away from the track.
Best part of it (F1) though, is that each team gets to design their own car!!! This makes for a lot better competition, because certain teams will have better advantages on one track, but then may lose it on the next. This makes things like pit strategy, how hard they drive, etc., so much more important. Champ Car, NASCAR and IRL cars are all the same, they follow the cookie-cutter philosophy. Ok, IRL has 2 different chassis that teams can choose from. Oooooo...2 chassis. Big fuckin deal, they're practically identical anyway. Unless you're standing right in front of the cars, you'd never be able to tell the difference.
With F1 cars, even as they're racing at top speeds on TV, you can see the differences in the front wing placement/shape, the bodywork on the side-panels, the height and size of the rear wing, and on the McLaren cars, those little mini-wings they have near the air intake port above the driver's head.
Then there's the engines. Champ Car is ALL Ford-Cosworth, which is not bad, IMO, because it puts everyone on an equal-playing field. The team that does the best job of maintaining and maximizing the engine should get the best results (I say should because a lot depends, of course, on the driver and the luck of the day). NASCAR has all North-American engines, I think (Chevy, Ford, Pontiac), and IRL has Honda, Toyota, and Chevy (again, I think). The variety in engines has the potential for creating better competition as we look to see who's engines perform better and are more reliable, especially since all the cars use the same chassis.
F1 is racing that is won/lost on the strength of the engines, moreso now than ever since the FIA instituted the new rule that an engine HAS to last for 2 race weekends. None of the other racing promotions would even think of doing that. Normally it's one engine for practice, one for qualifying, and then one (the most reliable) for race day. This new rule FIA instituted has caused the engine makers to make engines that are even tougher/more reliable than ever. They'd kick the shit out of a NASCAR/IRL engine. Also, the same way each F1 team develops/designs it's own car, they each provide their own engine (except for the smaller teams, who have deals with the bigger teams for engines.
I always make an effort to watch the F1 races. I'll also watch Champ Car now and then (at least they can turn left AND right). Never watch NASCAR, cuz I don't really care about redneck racing. I only watch IRL during the Indy 500, or if they're doing a spot on Danica Patrick (http://www.danicaracing.com/). Fuck I'd love to go 200 MPH with her!!! :jerk: :jerk: :jerk:
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I can identify some of the NASCAR guys, but I can't watch it. It's only cool when accidents happen ( and Nobody wants anyone to get hurt). Also, they're driving in circles!
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I think that's part of the reason why NASCAR and IRL are more popular in the States than F1 or Champ Car. With NASCAR and IRL, the race is all contained within one structure as the course is circular. That way, the live spectators can see the entire couse at any point of the race. With F1 and Champ Car, which use road/street courses, the courses are spread out more and therefore the live audience can only see a section of the race at a time as the racers pass. And when you're going as fast as these guys go, it's pretty much just a quick flash of colourful cars, then just waiting for them to come back again. It's actually better (I think) to watch F1/Champ Car on TV than live if you want to watch the WHOLE race on the WHOLE course. If you don't mind only getting to see the race as it passes the particular area you happen to be able to see, then go for it. I know I'd love to be in Monaco or Spain or Japan when they have their F1 races.
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I'm glued to the tv anytime I can catch an F1 race, but since most people in the states don't even know it exsists, that is very rare. I try to watch nascar, but it does get very boring very fast.
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Well, when all you do is go around in circles, of course it gets boring. That's why I've always preferred F1 and Champ Car. Their races are actually tests of DRIVING skills. NASCAR and IRL races are just tests of LEFT-TURNING skills. The ONLY time NASCAR and IRL guys have to turn right are when they enter/leave their pit areas during pit stops, and maybe when they're unloading their cars off of the trucks and have to move them to and from the garage areas.
BTW, after watching the European Grand Prix today, I've gotta say it must SUCK to be Kimi Raikkonen right now. I can understand why he didn't change his tire with less than 10 laps left to go in the race. The gamble almost paid off. To go out like that on the final lap... :evil: :evil: :evil: .
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ha i used to a F1 snob like you TQ.. but nascar's no walk in the park when you're racing three-wide on a short-track circuit. i started watching more nascar during last year's F1 snooze-fest, and let me tell you those guys are just as skilled as any other driver out there.
too bad about kimi, but damn this year's races are much more exciting. i hate ferrari with a passion :x so happy they're blowing chunks right now :ROFL
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I agree that last year's F1 season was majorly dull. I actually focused on all of the other teams and pretty much ignored Ferarri last year. This year is definitely better. With the increased number of restrictions that the FIA is implementing, it's forcing the drivers to improve their skills and forcing the teams to build better cars and come up with newer/better strategies.
While I'm willing to admit to being an F1 snob, like I said, F1 is a better test of driving skills and strategy, IMO. Running three-wide at over 100 mph is difficult in NASCAR, I'll give you that. But the reason they CAN run three-wide is because NASCAR is "closed-wheel racing" (where the tires are NOT at risk of any contact with the tires of other cars because they are protected within the wheel wells of the car), F1 is "open-wheel racing", where ANY contact with any of the tires means instant disaster. OPW racing is much more dangerous than CWR. Combine that with the courses and regulations of F1, and IMO, we have better test of driving skills.
I've actually traditionally been a fan of the Williams team, but I COULDN'T STAND Montoya when he was with them. The guy's such an arrogant prick. He's also way too agressive out on the track, to the point where he's dangerous and risking the other driver's safety.
WOO HOOO!!! Danica just took the lead in the Indy 500!!! Less than 20 laps to go!!!
UPDATE: FUCKIN' HELL!!! :x :evil: :x STUPID YELLOW FLAG COST DANICA THE LEAD!!! ONLY 10 LAPS LEFT!!!
UPDATE 2: AWESOME RE-START FOR DANICA!!! SHE'S RE-TAKEN THE LEAD!!!!
UPDATE 3: Ok, keep your head. Wait for a chance. Wait for a chance.
UPDATE 4: Oh fuck, she's running out of fuel.
UPDATE 5: FUCKIN' CRASH!!! They're stuck now in their current positions with the yellow flag out. Oh well, she's still the best-finisher for a female driver at Indy. And she's still absolutely fucking HAWT!!!
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She finished fourth. Not bad at all.
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Anything but Nascar/Cascar and horse racing. Whats the point of driving in a circle 300 times :shock:
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I watch every F1 race live on tv. This season is getting pretty interesting, and surprisingly BMW-Williams is doing quite well. Nobody really paid much attention to them since the focus has been on Renault, McLaren, Toyota, and Ferrari. Ferrari is horrible this season but the car has potential, they just need to fix up little things to be more competitive. I think Alonso will win the driver's championship and McLaren will win constructor's.
I want to watch races like DTM and JGTC (Super GT?) but I get no coverage here. Goddamn Speed and their nonstop nascar re-runs... :(
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Paul Tracy got his first win of the season!!! Ironic thing is...he did it on one of the few oval tracks that Champ Car runs. :oops: :oops: :oops:
Feel good story though, IMO, is Oriol Servia getting a podium finish even though he'd only been signed by Newman-Haas for this ONE race (while Junqueira's out with his injury). He's a good driver, the team's gonna have a hell of a time deciding whether to keep him in the car for now or try and get another driver to sub for Junqueira.
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Man, I wasn't able to watch the Canadian Grand Prix yesterday. :cry: :cry: :cry:
Luckily my friend taped it. Gotta say it's a nice comeback for Raikkonen, considering how he lost it on the last lap during the last race in Germany. What a sucky day for the Renault team. Both Fisichella and Alonso were completely dominating during, like 75% of the race only to both end up being out of the race. Best drive of the day went to Rubens, IMO. The guy had had mechanical troubles during qualifying on Saturday and also during the warmups on Sunday. He started the race from the very back of the pack (actually from pit lane), and he just quietly went about and ran his own race, and for his efforts wound up in third place. To go from last (20th) to 3rd? That's damn good. Bravo Rubens!!! :bow: :bow: :bow:
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There were a ton of drama during the Canadian GP. Both Renaults and BARs DNFed after a strong weekend and Montoya drove like an idiot and got black flagged. The Ferrari still isn't showing any sign of fast early pace, so it'd be hard for Michael or Rubens to win a race this season. They're just too slow at the start and can only win due to strategy and some luck. Let's just hope this weekend will be another exciting race filled with drama from start to finish :w00t:
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Ferrari lacks speed in single lap qualifying, so they have to compensate it with low fuel amounts (and three stop pit strategy). Couple of this kind of disasters for Renault and we have an interesting season ahead. Although this season has already been much better than last five with Ferrari's sole dominance.
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Compared to last year, it seems like the Ferrari cars (and the Bridgetone tires) this year are taking much, much longer to warm up and get to that point where they CAN be competetive. They've obviously also had a lot more mechanical/engineering problems this year compared to the last 2 or 3, when everything was working so smoothly for them.
In terms of the constructors, I'd say that Renault has clearly made the most improvement, especially with their starter system (they both overtook the front row at the start of the Cdn GP this past sunday).
As far as Montoya goes, I was glad when he got DQ'd. That WAS a stupid, reckless move that he did. From replays of the camera views of the camera that was mounted on Montoya's car, it was obvious that the red light was on. He fucked up. He deserved to be DQ'd. End of story. I've always personally felt that he's way TOO aggressive, to the point where he's sometimes dangerous and risking the other racers' safety (like during the above-mentioned incident). He's got skills, I'll give him that, and he definitely has confidence in himself, but sometimes it's like his opinion of his abilities exceed is actual abilities. I don't know if I should say that he's full of himself, but if the shoe fits...
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Renault had a very good starter system already in last year. But they lacked speed and reliability to compete for championship.
Montoya's disqualification was a right decision, but I think F1 needs characters like him. Especially to fight for the championship. Eddie Irvine always had great comments about things, he always blamed someone else than himself. That guy was the master of being full of himself :) And Schumacher - Hill battles were great, they did almost anything to win.
Although the championship is decided on the track, the drama part is important in F1 too :)
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I actually liked Eddie Irvine when he was still in F1, I thought he was one of the coolest guys on the track, and this is still back when I couldn't tell which cars belonged to which teams, or even how many teams there were at the time!!!
:lol: :lol: :lol:
And yeah, I'll admit that F1 does well to have the guys with the swollen egos like Montoya. That way it makes it more fun to watch when they lose!!! :damnfunny :damnfunny :damnfunny
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... ehm ..... any wrc fanz here???
or jgtc or ... i don't know ... d1 championship ...
eh .... about nascar .... im not a big fan of nascar because ... it's so "american" ... i mean .. big heavy cars round a circle track ...
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WRC isn't so fun to watch because all cars drive one after another against the time... There's no excitement in the same way as in F1 or other series on track.
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I'd watch JGTC (called Super GT now) if I got coverage here. Speed Channel shows too much nascar ever since Fox bought them. I remember awhile back Speed said they would show JGTC hightlights but I guess not anymore :(
I have to watch Best Motoring and Hot Version to get my dose of japanese car action :D
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What a sucky day for the Renault team. Both Fisichella and Alonso were completely dominating during, like 75% of the race only to both end up being out of the race.
And BTW.. WHAT THE HELL WAS FUCKIN' FISICHELLA THINKIN' ABOUT??????!!!!! Alonso was told to pass by him, they're supposed to be in the same team and he kept blocking the road!!!! :x :x bof I know they wouldn't have won anyway but man, some team spirit! :cry:
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He was only told to let Alonso pass a few seconds before he actually did it. Remember, they might be teammates, but it is STILL a race won by an individual driver. No team orders allowed.
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But it was clear he was having problems from several laps before, and he made Alonso lose his advantage to Montoya. It was a stupid move.
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What a horrible US GP race this past weekend. Everyone seems to blame Ferrari for not allowing the chicane to be added but it's not their fault Michelin fucked up. They had the better tire throughout most of the season, but lately they seem to be having reliability problems. The whole race was a disgrace. :( Also the fans who threw things onto the track are idiots. Ferrari, Jordan, and Minardi are just doing their job. At least the 2 Ferraris didn't just cruise around the track but instead fought each other to the point of almost taking each other out.
I wonder how many Michelin engineers are fired now :lol:
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FIA should have a way to solve these kind of situations. This Indy GP was the worst possible outcome.
Why couldn't they let Michelin teams have new sets of tyres and offer Bridgestone teams the same chance to get new tyres. Or just get that chicane there... Yea, it may have been not 100% fair to Ferrari, but it would have been a smaller loss.
I never thought they would let the race end up being this kind of joke :(
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PRETTY BIG RANT COMING UP. PREPARE YOURSELVES.
What a horrible US GP race this past weekend. Everyone seems to blame Ferrari for not allowing the chicane to be added but it's not their fault Michelin fucked up. [/b] They had the better tire throughout most of the season, but lately they seem to be having reliability problems. The whole race was a disgrace. :( Also the fans who threw things onto the track are idiots. Ferrari, Jordan, and Minardi are just doing their job. At least the 2 Ferraris didn't just cruise around the track but instead fought each other to the point of almost taking each other out.[/b]
I wonder how many Michelin engineers are fired now :lol:
Of course everyone's going to blame Ferrari. Considering how dominant they've been over the past few years (not including this year), a lot of fans see the FIA as favouring Ferrai and doing Ferrari's bidding. The real fans, however, those of us who actually follow the sport know that, as you so eloquently put it, it was Michelin who fucked up. Michelin, unlike Bridgestone (who were the tire suppliers for the Ferrari, Jordan, and Minardi cars, in case anyone didn't know) did not do any serious testing of their tires on the Indy course. The section of the track at the heart of this is a right hand turn on the oval part of the track. It is, many would say, the longest section of track where you go absolutely FULL OUT on acceleration in any of the entire F1 tracks. The fact that this particular turn is banked (i.e. at an angle of, I think 45-60 degrees) puts a LOT of extra stress on the tires. Simply put, Michelin were overconfident in their tires, and it bit them in the ass when they fucked up. You'd think that they'd have done some extra testing/strengthening of their tires after last year's USGP when Ralf Schumacher lost control of his Williams car (ON THAT EXACT CORNER, MIND YOU) and suffered one of the scariest and most dangerous crashes of the season. But NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. Rather than ENSURE that it wasn't the fault of thier tires, Michelin just automatically assumed it was some other problem and that they were in the clear.
The fans who threw the shit onto the track were unaware of the situation with the tires, and were extremely pissed off and frustrated because they'd been severly screwed out of a good race. Many of them had travelled from S. America, Canada, and other parts of the country. They had shelled out $100+ for their tickets/hotels/etc. And they got fucking gypped. Does that make what they did right? Of course not. But, IMHO, it makes it understandable.
The Ferrari boys almost DID take each other out. If they had, imagine the podium...Jordan 1st and 2nd, and MINARDI!!! THEY'RE FIRST PODUIM FINISH IN WHO KNOWS HOW LONG!!! IF EVER!!! :lol: :lol: :lol:
FIA should have a way to solve these kind of situations. This Indy GP was the worst possible outcome.
Why couldn't they let Michelin teams have new sets of tyres and offer Bridgestone teams the same chance to get new tyres. Or just get that chicane there... [/b]Yea, it may have been not 100% fair to Ferrari, but it would have been a smaller loss.
I never thought they would let the race end up being this kind of joke :(
You know what, they SHOULD have a procedure for solving a problem like this. Unfortunately, they don't. Why? Because it's only been in the last few years that F1 has had more than one company supplying tires to the teams. For the longest time, Bridgestone was the sole tire supplier for F1. Everyone got the same tires, everyone (in that sense) was on equal footing. However, a few years ago (maybe 5 or 6?), a few teams fought to allow Michelin enter as a "competitor" to Bridgestone. At first it was only a couple of teams that took Michelin over Bridgestone. However, because of their superior performance in the EARLY STAGES of the race, more and more teams switched from Bridgestone to Michelin. Think of it this way:
Michelin tires are like a gas stove. They perform REALLY well right out of the gate. However, they also have a tendency to "blow up" if pushed too hard (like this year at Indy and when Raikkonen's tire blowing out on the final lap of the European GP 3 weeks ago).
Bridgestone tires are like electric stoves. They take a lot longer to reach peak performance (usually about 20 laps or so into the race), but they're a lot more realiable/sturdy in the long run. Bridgestones also have out-performed their Michelin counterparts with their "intermediate" tires and their "rain" weather tires.
Giving the Michelin teams a new set of tires would have done nothing to help, because they would STILL have been made by Michelin. The problem wasn't a defect in this particular set of tires. The problem was that Michelin built an INFERIOR tire compared to the Bridgestones. It's not that the tires Michelin weren't good. They just weren't GOOD ENOUGH to endure this course.
As far as building the chicane goes, there likely wasn't enough time to build one, considering that the tire problem was announced by Michelin ONLY on Friday afternoon/evening (at the earliest). They would have had to have designed the chicane, build it, and then allow all the drivers from all the teams to have a few laps driving around the new course (not just the chicane, but the entire course) in order to get a feel for it. And they would have had to have done this within 36 hours (between Friday afternoon/evening to Sunday at around noon, when the race was scheduled to start). Logistically, this would have been next to impossible to do.
Another, more simple reason why it wasn't built was that it was basically against the FIA rules to do it. Basically the rules said that it's unfair to change the course just because a team/teams did not come with the proper equipment and therefore cannot compete safely. It's not fair to the teams who DID come properly prepared, so the change to the course was not permitted. As an example, would it be fair, say, for MLB to mandate that ALL baseball stadiums MUST be build with a dome (non-retractable), or that all ballgames MUST be played at night because a few players have trouble seeing flyballs outdoors on a sunny day? Or how about making the hockey puck glow a bright, neon colour just because American audiences can't see a black puck on a white ice surface?
Funny, they don't seem to have trouble distinguishing black and white most of the time. But I digress.
Bottom line, according to the FIA, if you don't come with the PROPER equipment, that's YOUR problem, not ours. Obviously, the teams and drivers who withdrew are not to blame here. Many of them said they'd take the chance and wanted to race. But Michelin wouldn't allow it because they knew that they brought an INFERIOR product to the race, and they didn't want to risk all those lives (not to mention the lawsuits and bad press for them), should their tires fail.
All of this shit could have been avoided if there was only a SINGLE tire supplier for all the teams, like it was with Bridgestone before Michelin came onto the scene. Bridgestone has been involved in competitive racing WAY longer than Michelin. They've got tons more experience with Champ Car, the IRL and NASCAR (dunno if they're in rally racing or GP racing). Apparent rumors have actually had the FIA considering going back to only one tire provider within the next few years. Let's hope it's Bridgestone.
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Woah, Indy does not have a 45-60 degree banking. It has a 9 degree 12 minutes banking, which is the smallest banking of any major oval track venue in America. Daytona International Speedway has the largest banking, and that's only 31 degrees. At Daytona, you need to be going a minimum of 80mph in order to even stay on the track. After 35 degrees the minimum speed increases exponentially and the amount of g-forces exerted on the human body reach dangerous levels. But, I digress, this post is supposed to be about Indy, F1, and the US GP. First off, Michellin is going to get no sympathy from any Americans about a tire that can't even be raced on the smallest banked track in America. Second, what the hell were they thinking? Not only is this their 6th outing at this GP, but the fact that problems were going to occur on the banked sections of the track should have been obvious. Michellin builds their tires with an unconventional method which is more suscetible to extreme g-force conditions than other methods, and this suscetibility was proven at last years' USGP.
Moreover, of course the banked sections are going to have more extreme g-forces, that's the whole point! Back before cars had front and rear spoilers that generated 3,000lbs of downforce they used banking so that the cars could go faster around turns without spinning out. As speeds increased but the size of tracks remained the same, the amount of banking was increased until it was determined that anymore would produce unsafe racing conditions. In the 1970s an infield section was added to Daytona because in the Daytona 200 (a motorcycle race), entrants were reaching speeds of 220mph (the AMA Superbike Series boycotted Daytona this year when requests for a redesigned infield section went unheeded and instead the Supersport bikes raced on a prototype redesign).
That Michellin paid no attention to American Racing's History and their own history when designing their tires is ridiculous. It's also ridiculous that the only Michellin supplied teams that did any tire testing on Indy were Felipe Massa and Anthony Davidson. Michellin's actions were that of pure negligence and their demands and reactions to the FIA were completely unjustified. The safety issue is no different from a torrentional downpoor opening and michellin teams retiring due to inferior tires. The nature of F1 is that if you come, you race no matter the circumstances. Michellin's, and the teams that followed Michellin's, actions disappoint me terribly. I had been a Renault and Jarno Trulli supporter this season, but now I'm putting my support behind Ferrari and Rubens Barriccello until they atone for this. :x
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The reason for this debacle is clear. Each team is allowed to bring two types of tyre: one an on-the-limit potential race winner, the other a back-up which, although slower, is absolutely reliable. Apparently, none of the Michelin teams brought a back-up to Indianapolis. They subsequently announced they were flying in new tyres from France but then claimed that these too were unsafe.
http://www.formula1.com/news/3209.html
The Michelin teams didn't even bring a backup set of tires for the race weekend :(
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i don't know .... i think that all about that tires .. is a bullshit ..
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It seems the teams have to pay the price. They should have had a backup tires and they according to FIA, they didn't inform the race managers about their act beforehand.
Another, more simple reason why it wasn't built was that it was basically against the FIA rules to do it. Basically the rules said that it's unfair to change the course just because a team/teams did not come with the proper equipment and therefore cannot compete safely.
Yep, rules are rules, but I thought FIA would show a little more flexibility here. Now it was loss to everyone, especially for FIA and Formula 1 as a sport.
All of this shit could have been avoided if there was only a SINGLE tire supplier for all the teams, like it was with Bridgestone before Michelin came onto the scene. Bridgestone has been involved in competitive racing WAY longer than Michelin. They've got tons more experience with Champ Car, the IRL and NASCAR (dunno if they're in rally racing or GP racing). Apparent rumors have actually had the FIA considering going back to only one tire provider within the next few years. Let's hope it's Bridgestone.
Actually Michelin has a lot more experience about Formula 1 than Bridgestone. Michelin's F1 debut was as early as 1971 and they dominated the series in 80's until they left F1. In my opinion Michelin tyres have been better in this season, till Indy GP :)
Le Mans 24hrs race was also won with Michelin tyres this year, and Sebastien Loeb and Valentino Rossi are dominating WRC and Moto GP with Michelin tyres...
Imo having two (or even more) tire-supplier in Formula 1 is only a good thing. The only reason why I would like to have a single tire supplier in F1 is that it would even the gap between teams and make the series more interesting.
Single tire supplier is a part of FIA's plans to lower costs next season that even the small teams with private funding can fight over championship. If they gonna go with that plan, I don't care whether they're driving with, Michelin or Bridgestone tires. Michelin's chances aren't better with this incindent though :)
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ehm .... i have a question ..
who makes the tires for the indy series???
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ehm .... i have a question ..
who makes the tires for the indy series???
Firestone, which is a subsidiary of Bridgestone.
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Heh, I forgot to address Michelin's racing history in my post. :evil:
Anyways, I was completely unsuprised by the FIA's response. Remember, these are guys that will dq a car for having an airduct that's a millimeter too wide. They offered to monitor track speeds of michelin teams around turn 13 and penalize them for going too fast, and they really couldn't have done anything more. If every team was running michelins, they still wouldn't have put in a chicane the day before the race. That's just how the FIA operates and for Michelin to expect anything else is folly.
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ehm .... i have a question ..
who makes the tires for the indy series???
Firestone, which is a subsidiary of Bridgestone.
thanks .... by the way ....
maybe all this "tires and chicane " is a dirty move from ferrari to take the lead in the championship ...
or maybe im taking too much beer :jerk: :halo: :wink:
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Woah, Indy does not have a 45-60 degree banking. It has a 9 degree 12 minutes banking, which is the smallest banking of any major oval track venue in America.[/color] Daytona International Speedway has the largest banking, and that's only 31 degrees.
That Michellin paid no attention to American Racing's History and their own history when designing their tires is ridiculous. It's also ridiculous that the only Michellin supplied teams that did any tire testing on Indy were Felipe Massa and Anthony Davidson. Michellin's actions were that of pure negligence and their demands and reactions to the FIA were completely unjustified.[/color] The safety issue is no different from a torrentional downpoor opening and michellin teams retiring due to inferior tires. The nature of F1 is that if you come, you race no matter the circumstances.[/color] Michellin's, and the teams that followed Michellin's, actions disappoint me terribly. I had been a Renault and Jarno Trulli supporter this season, but now I'm putting my support behind Ferrari and Rubens Barriccello until they atone for this.[/color] :x
Ok, so I went overboard on how steep the banks at Indy were. You have to admit, it drove the point home. Anyway, back to the bashing of Michelin. To restate the point using another analogy, Michelin did not do their homework, and on the day of the exam, they realilzed there was NO way they were going to pass the test. They made a request to change a part of the exam, which was totally unreasonable and which the FIA had NO obligation to fulfill.
The little testing that Massa and Davidson did were likely the only thing that brought the problem to Michelin's attention in the first place (assuming that they had had problems with their tires during the testing). If they had NOT done their testing, and the only sign of trouble was when Ralf spun and crashed, Michelin might have given the tires the green light, and just blamed the crash to driver error or treat it as a freak accident. You have to wonder then what could have happened during the race. Michelin had plenty of time to test their tires on a banked track. They had two weeks while the teams were in Montreal and at Indy. There's also a track in England that has banked sections of track(can't remember the name off of the top of my head) where car testing is often done. The opportunities were there, Michelin just didn't take them.
As far as removing your support from Renault, hey, that's your business. Just remember that the teams who were running Michelins should not be included in the blame. It's not their fault that they were given inferior tires. Would an army field commander follow the orders of HQ and send his troops out into a warzone with enemy bullets flying everywhere DESPITE knowing that the M-16 rifles that HIS troops had didn't always work? Doubt it.
The reason for this debacle is clear. Each team is allowed to bring two types of tyre: one an on-the-limit potential race winner, the other a back-up which, although slower, is absolutely reliable. Apparently, none of the Michelin teams brought a back-up to Indianapolis. They subsequently announced they were flying in new tyres from France but then claimed that these too were unsafe.
The Michelin teams didn't even bring a backup set of tires for the race weekend[/color] :(
It seems the teams have to pay the price. They should have had a backup tires and they according to FIA, they didn't inform the race managers about their act beforehand.[/color]
They DID bring a backup set of tires, the second was the "slower, more reliable" tire. Problem was, the second set of tires was SLOWER. If the drivers had run with those they wouldn't have been on the same competitive level as the Bridgestone cars. And in the world of F1, being competitive isn't just a big thing, to some it's the only thing. Besides, the second set of tires would have still been made by Michelin, so despite their being "more reliable" than the first set, there was still the danger of them failing on that banked curve. They did have two sets of tires, but due to stupid circumstances, they couldn't use either.
Michelin DID inform the race managers, the problem was, they did it too late. Michelin was caught unprepared to deal with this problem and wanted the race changed so that no one would know that they fucked up.
Actually Michelin has a lot more experience about Formula 1 than Bridgestone. Michelin's F1 debut was as early as 1971 and they dominated the series in 80's until they left F1. In my opinion Michelin tyres have been better in this season, till Indy GP[/color] :)
Le Mans 24hrs race was also won with Michelin tyres this year, and Sebastien Loeb and Valentino Rossi are dominating WRC and Moto GP with Michelin tyres...
Michelin is superior? Tell that to Ralf Schumacher. Poor bastard has crashed his car on THE SAME COURSE, ON THE VERY SAME TURN for two years in a row. He was driving for a different team each time, with different car designs, etc. The only thing in common both years, with both crashes were Ralf (who is obviously one of the best and most skilled drivers in the world), and the fact that the cars were using Michelin tires. To my knowledge, most, if not all the incidents within the past few years of tires failing/coming apart/blowing up have involved Michelin tires. Ferrari, Jordan, Minardi, and until this season BAR Honda have not had the same troubles with thier Bridgestone tires that Michelin has been having.
Then again the problems in this particular case might be solely due to the banked curve. Bridgestone (through it's Firestone branch, which supplies Champ Car, IRL, and NASCAR) definitely have more knowledge and experience in dealing with banked curves. It could very well be that Michelins problems might just be chalked up to inexperience with THIS PARTICULAR type of track.
Imo having two (or even more) tire-supplier in Formula 1 is only a good thing. The only reason why I would like to have a single tire supplier in F1 is that it would even the gap between teams and make the series more interesting.
Single tire supplier is a part of FIA's plans to lower costs next season that even the small teams with private funding can fight over championship. If they gonna go with that plan, I don't care whether they're driving with, Michelin or Bridgestone tires. Michelin's chances aren't better with this incindent though [/color]:)
That was the thinking when they brought in Michelin as the second tire supplier. And look at the problems that have occured with Michelin tires. Does it add another level of competition between the drivers? Of course it does. But it also adds a level of risk which I personally believe to be unacceptable. These drivers are pushing the limits when they're out there during a race. They HAVE to be able to trust that their equipment will NOT fail. If I were any of the Michelin teams, right now I'd have serious doubts.
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Just heard on the radio that the FIA is calling some type of conference with all the Michelin teams regarding what happened at Indy. Questions of penalties, fines, even suspensions. Personally, I say it's wrong to penalize the teams. As I said previously, it wasn't their fault that they were given inferior tires. If anyone's to blame, it's Michelin. They didn't do the research that they should have done. By not doing this they didn't build the tire that they should have for the race.
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If anyone's to blame, it's Michelin. They didn't do the research that they should have done. By not doing this they didn't build the tire that they should have for the race.
that's right but ... why they just " skipped" the rules and jus change the "weak " tires ... i mean .. it's for the emotion a the safety of all ..
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If anyone's to blame, it's Michelin. They didn't do the research that they should have done. By not doing this they didn't build the tire that they should have for the race.
that's right but ... why they just " skipped" the rules and jus change the "weak " tires ... i mean .. it's for the emotion a the safety of all ..
There's no way that the FIA would "skip" the rules, as you put it. They're very, VERY, VERY, VEEEEEEEEEEEEEERY strict when it comes to enforcing the rules.
As far as changing the "weak tires", to what exactly were they supposed to change them? ALL of the Michelin tires had the same problem, and Michelin told the teams that ALL of the tires that they had given them were unsafe to use on the track. They could not switch to Bridgestones, because they were under contract to Michelin. The Michelin teams were not given any safe choice, and for that Michelin is to blame.
Did I mention that the FIA is "very strict"? Because they are, you know.
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I guess we all agree that Michelin fucked up and they're the biggest to blame. I'm just saying that FIA chose a wrong time to be strict about the rules (No, FIA isn't always VERY strict about rules, ask Ferrari). They chose to stand behind their principles... Ok, nice, but no one really cares. The thing which everyone cares about is that there was no real racing last weekend. And I think this mess was way too expensive price for being strict about rules.
The other guy who lost his prestige in my eyes, was Bernie Ecclestone. A little man with great power... Not. If anyone, he would be the one could have bring off a compromise of some kind.
Although I believe they would have had a good race if the problem would have been realized earlier. It seemed that no one knew what's going to happen... Michelin or the teams should have stated clearly and early, that they're not gonna race without a chicane (or something).
Like TheQuickening said, the most stupid thing to do now is to penalize teams. I don't want to see the championship getting stained by this mess (I guess it cannot be helped if Ferrari wins it with points from this race though).
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So now apparently the FIA is close to (if they haven't already) charging the 7 teams that had Michelins for withdrawing from the race and, get this...for making F1 and the FIA "LOOK BAD"!!! (I think the actual terminology used was "damaging the image of F1 motorsport" or something like that). Seriously, get real!!! To blame the teams is complete bullshit!!! The ones who should face charges (in anyone) is Michelin for fucking up with their tires and causing the race to be fucked up. :x :x :x
I guess we all agree that Michelin fucked up and they're the biggest to blame. I'm just saying that FIA chose a wrong time to be strict about the rules (No, FIA isn't always VERY strict about rules, ask Ferrari).[/color]
Out of curiosity, can you give some examples of when Ferrari has broken the rules in recent years and the FIA let them get away with it? I personally could not think of any myself.
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Maybe it's easier to FIA to blame teams. At least they have broken some actual rules. FIA sees teams responsible for refusing driving slower in the banked curve.
I wonder what kind of race it would have been if Michelin teams would have had a speed limit in the fastest part of the circuit. Even Arrows might have overtaken McLarens and Renaults...
Out of curiosity, can you give some examples of when Ferrari has broken the rules in recent years and the FIA let them get away with it? I personally could not think of any myself.
The case to which I was referring to was in October 1999 Malaysia GP, where it was noticed that Ferrari's air deflectors have been too wide.
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Good news for BMW fans and bad news for Williams fans...
I wonder if BMW will end up running their own car in F1 within the next few years :D
BMW buys Sauber (officially)
http://f1.racing-live.com/en/headlines/news/detail/050622150618.shtml
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Maybe it's easier to FIA to blame teams. At least they have broken some actual rules. FIA sees teams responsible for refusing driving slower in the banked curve.
I wonder what kind of race it would have been if Michelin teams would have had a speed limit in the fastest part of the circuit. Even Arrows might have overtaken McLarens and Renaults...[/color]
These guys are paid to drive fast, to ask them to slow down when they are supposed[/i] to be going full throttle is insanely stupid by the FIA. It would be like asking Dubya to stop being a Texas Republican, or asking a baseball player to ONLY hit singles and to NOT hit any more homeruns. It's all they know how to do and to ask them to do so otherwise is totally contrary to their training and natural instincts. If they had agreed to slow down at that curve, then they wouldn't have been doing their job properly. Also, it would have allowed the Bridgestone teams, who did NOT have to slow down, a prime chance to pass or extend a lead.
Out of curiosity, can you give some examples of when Ferrari has broken the rules in recent years and the FIA let them get away with it? I personally could not think of any myself.
The case to which I was referring to was in October 1999 Malaysia GP, where it was noticed that Ferrari's air deflectors have been too wide.[/color]
Ah, yes. I remember that now. I think that it was after that race and the controversy behind those air deflectors that the FIA has gotten super-strict on enforcing the rules, right?
Good news for BMW fans and bad news for Williams fans...
I wonder if BMW will end up running their own car in F1 within the next few years :D
BMW buys Sauber (officially)
http://f1.racing-live.com/en/headlines/news/detail/050622150618.shtml
If BMW does decide to turn Sauber into their own team, there's no reason why they wouldn't want to/be able to supply Williams with BMW engines. Currently, Sauber is using engines supplied by Ferrari, so it wouldn't be something unheard of.
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I like racing :D But I am more of the Drift style fan. D1 Gran Prix all the way! IMO, American Racing is kind of boring. You know, NASCAR? All it does is go around circles turning left all the time just to see who gets in the positions and all. I don't know...
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I like racing :D But I am more of the Drift style fan. D1 Gran Prix all the way! IMO, American Racing is kind of boring. You know, NASCAR? All it does is go around circles turning left all the time just to see who gets in the positions and all. I don't know...
This is my personal explanation for why NASCAR is so popular in the States. For one thing, its one of the few, if not the only MAJOR racing circuit that's exclusively or dominated by American drivers. American drivers can't hack it in F1, plain and simple, there hasn't been an American driver in F1 since Michael Andretti drove for McLaren, like what, 15 years ago? In Champ Car and IRL, the Americans compete against Brits, Canadians, Aussies, Japanese, South/Latin Americans, a couple Germans and Swedes I think, etc., etc. Drifting was brought over by the Asians, Rally racing was brought over by Europeans, and so on, and so on. NASCAR is American (particularly redneck American). When there's a virtual guarantee that an American will win the race, then Americans will watch. Why would they want to watch a British guy win and IRL race, or a Brazillian in Champ Car, or anyone in F1 when there's good ol' Americans like Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, and Dale Jr. in NASCAR? It's like the American coverage of the Olympic games. They only show the finals of an event, and ONLY if there's an American in medal contention. Every other event gets ignored by the American networks (at least that's what I've been told by the Americans I know who are now hooked on the Canadian Olympic coverage).
But back to NASCAR, you know how as little kids, if we saw a hamster in it's cage, and it would run on that little wheel of his/hers? As kids, we could just watch that hamster run in that whell for hours if we had the chance. That's what NASCAR is to the American public. The cars go round and round and round just like that wheel that the hamster runs in.
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Haha, I guess you're right. :) :P
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But back to NASCAR, you know how as little kids, if we saw a hamster in it's cage, and it would run on that little wheel of his/hers? As kids, we could just watch that hamster run in that whell for hours if we had the chance. That's what NASCAR is to the American public. The cars go round and round and round just like that wheel that the hamster runs in.
Really weird, and yet interesting NASCAR news. I was in the garage this morning and had the radio on. All of a sudden the news gets to the sports report and it says that this coming Sunday's NASCAR race is going to be done on...get this...A ROAD COURSE!!! :lol: :lol: :lol: I was like, WTF!!! Totally caught ME off guard, NASCAR doing a road course? Go figure. I guess they finally decided to put their drivers in a more "realistic" race (I say "realistic" in the fact that they'll have to turn both left AND right for this race, like in real life driving, unlike their usual ovals where they only turn left).
It'd be interesting to watch and see how they do, though I'm still sort of undecided as to whether I will or not.
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Haha, I might see this :P
Left AND right XD XD :lol:
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Speaking of non-oval racing.....
Everyone always mentions how NASCAR is boring oval racing but have you seen the tracks for IRL? When you see the cars you'd think they're in a similiar class as other Formula cars like Formula Nippon, F3000, etc.. so they should be running in real technical circuits correct? NO! Just look at the race schedule for 2005... HAHA
(http://img298.echo.cx/img298/3410/irlsched6bv.jpg)
Only 3/17 tracks are non-oval style :?
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Speaking of non-oval racing.....
Everyone always mentions how NASCAR is boring oval racing but have you seen the tracks for IRL? When you see the cars you'd think they're in a similiar class as other Formula cars like Formula Nippon, F3000, etc.. so they should be running in real technical circuits correct? NO! Just look at the race schedule for 2005... HAHA
(http://img298.echo.cx/img298/3410/irlsched6bv.jpg)
Only 3/17 tracks are non-oval style :?
Since when did I say that IRL races predominantly run on road courses? Oh yeah...I NEVER DID!!! :lol: :lol: :lol: We had discussed earlier in this thread that IRL is an open-wheel version of NASCAR. And yes, I find it boring as well. The only IRL race I ever make an effort to consider watching is the Indy 500. This year Indy was GREAT because of, well, you have to have watched it in order to understand what made it great this year *ahem* Danica *ahem*.
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If BMW does decide to turn Sauber into their own team, there's no reason why they wouldn't want to/be able to supply Williams with BMW engines. Currently, Sauber is using engines supplied by Ferrari, so it wouldn't be something unheard of.
Although if BMW has its own team, I don't think they would give the same engine to Williams too. They probably would have a latest engine for their own cars and sell other engines to Williams. As being a top team, I don't think Williams would want "second-class" engines.
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IRL is the home of Formula 1 rejects :lol:
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IRL is the home of Formula 1 rejects :lol:
I would say that that is more accurate with Champ Car. Among their current drivers include Justin Wilson (ex-Jaguar/RedBull), Cristiano da Matta (ex-Toyota), and Timo Glock (ex-Jordan). Come to think of it, I not sure IRL has any former F1 drivers/rejects. They probably would not be able to stand being limited to only turning left, anyway. :lol: :lol: :lol: Do you know of anyone in particular?
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Oh you're right. I keep forgetting who drives for which series :(
I haven't watched these in so many years cuz I got bored of their racing. There's only so much oval racing one man can handle :lol:
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F1 and Champ Car, road racing is the way to go.
On another note, apparently the team principal of Minardi is threatening to boycott the next race (maybe more) if the FIA chooses to "punish" the Michelin teams who pulled out of the USGP in Indy. Kinda weird, considering that Minardi was one of the three teams that actually took part in the race, since they have Bridgestone tires. I guess the bottom line is that he's saying that the teams had no choice but to pull out for safety reasons, that it was the fault of Michelin. Looks like there IS some solidarity amongst the racing teams, after all.
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On another note, apparently the team principal of Minardi is threatening to boycott the next race (maybe more) if the FIA chooses to "punish" the Michelin teams who pulled out of the USGP in Indy. Kinda weird, considering that Minardi was one of the three teams that actually took part in the race, since they have Bridgestone tires. I guess the bottom line is that he's saying that the teams had no choice but to pull out for safety reasons, that it was the fault of Michelin. Looks like there IS some solidarity amongst the racing teams, after all.
all the teams except ferrari had an understanding to quit the race when they couldn't reach a compromise with FIA. minardi only raced when jordan reneged on the agreement, since as the bottom dwellers they are effectively competing with each other.
i saw an interview with paul stoddart where he was totally pissed about the whole debacle and jordan. he said he didn't care for the outcome of the race, and you know it because he was being interviewed while the race was still going on.
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FIA announced today that the seven Michelin teams were found guilty for not having raceable tires and refusing to race. Possible penalties are announced in september.
They also stated that FIA can't judge Michelin, because it has no officialconnections to the tyre supplier. Michelin works only for teams.
I don't understand why they have to postpone it till september. It would be good if they would try to get rid of this mess as soon as possible. Maybe they think that if they penalize teams now, they might boycott races again as a protest.
I think it's stupid to blame teams about this and ridiculous if FIA can't do anything when a tyre supplier fucks up.
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FIA announced today that the seven Michelin teams were found guilty for not having raceable tires and refusing to race. Possible penalties are announced in september.
They also stated that FIA can't judge Michelin, because it has no officialconnections to the tyre supplier. Michelin works only for teams.[/color]
I don't understand why they have to postpone it till september. It would be good if they would try to get rid of this mess as soon as possible. Maybe they think that if they penalize teams now, they might boycott races again as a protest.
I think it's stupid to blame teams about this and ridiculous if FIA can't do anything when a tyre supplier fucks up.
That's just fuckin stupid. The FIA says they've got no connections to Michelin? They were the ones who allowed Michelin to be a supplier to the teams in the first place!!! Without the FIA's initial approval, Michelin wouldn't even BE in F1 right now. Now if you want to get technical, what they said can be considered true, to a certain extent. Michelin has direct links to the teams to which they supply tires. The teams pay Michelin for the tires, and likely Michelin might pay the teams back some money for the advertising. FIA, likely pays/receives no money to/from Michelin, hence the assertion that there's no "official" connection between the two. That's just words. It's still bullshit.
To wait until September is a dumb idea as well. Better to do it now, and get it over with, so that the teams affected can still have the rest of the season to adjust and "make up" any losses that they suffer. It's like the 2-race banishment that BAR had to go through last month when they were "caught" with that fuel tank fiasco. Since it was still early in the season, the banishment didn't really cause that much damage. If the FIA had waited until near the end of the season to institute the banishment, and BAR was in a serious contention for the Drivers/Constructors championships, it would be GROSSLY unfair to them. If the FIA has to penalize, do it now, so that the potential damage can potentially be "fixable".
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"Pole Position" for Alonso in France. C'mon nano, you can do it!
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Maybe we can finally see the true potential of the Ferarri now. Both drivers screwed up the last sector but their qualifying run showed everyone they're back in the game :D
This should be a great race but I can't see it live. Damn Star Sports is having a tape delay :(
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Heh Great race for Fernando Alonso. Iceman was really good too, coming back from 13th.
1 5 Fernando Alonso Renault 70 Winner 1 10
2 9 Kimi Räikkönen McLaren-Mercedes 70 +11.8 secs 13 8
3 1 Michael Schumacher Ferrari 70 +81.9 secs 3 6
4 3 Jenson Button BAR-Honda 69 +1 Lap 7 5
5 16 Jarno Trulli Toyota 69 +1 Lap 2 4
6 6 Giancarlo Fisichella Renault 69 +1 Lap 6 3
7 17 Ralf Schumacher Toyota 69 +1 Lap 11 2
8 11 Jacques Villeneuve Sauber-Petronas 69 +1 Lap 10 1
9 2 Rubens Barrichello Ferrari 69 +1 Lap 5
10 14 David Coulthard Red Bull Racing 69 +1 Lap 15
11 4 Takuma Sato BAR-Honda 69 +1 Lap 4
12 7 Mark Webber Williams-BMW 68 +2 Lap 12
13 18 Tiago Monteiro Jordan-Toyota 67 +3 Lap 19
14 8 Nick Heidfeld Williams-BMW 66 +4 Lap 14
15 19 Narain Karthikeyan Jordan-Toyota 66 +4 Lap 17
Ret 10 Juan Pablo Montoya McLaren-Mercedes 46 +24 Laps 8
Ret 21 Christijan Albers Minardi-Cosworth 37 +33 Laps 20
Ret 20 Patrick Friesacher Minardi-Cosworth 33 +37 Laps 18
Ret 12 Felipe Massa Sauber-Petronas 30 +40 Laps 9
Ret 15 Christian Klien Red Bull Racing 1 +69 Laps 16
Screw you Schumacher
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Alonso TOTALLY dominated the race today!!! Another great race for him and for the Renault team, especially considering this was their home race!!! :thumbsup :thumbsup :thumbsup
And on another note, Michelin has announced that for next year's USGP, THEY will purchase a bunch of tickets (I think they said 50 000?) and they'll give them away to the public for FREE!!! I guess it's their way of trying to apologize for not having the proper tires for the 7 teams that ended up having to withdraw from the race.
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Holy shit Alonso was SO FAST. I thought he was running really light on fuel but he pitted much later than I expected. Raikkonen almost had a great race and strategy when he leap-frogged everyone after the first pit stop.
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Holy shit Alonso was SO FAST. I thought he was running really light on fuel but he pitted much later than I expected. Raikkonen almost had a great race and strategy when he leap-frogged everyone after the first pit stop.
Don't forget, props also have to go with Raikkonen's pit crew for being so quick and efficient while he WAS in the pit. Even though he's got major skills, he wouldn't have been able to pull off that little manoevre without an awesome pit crew.
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A great race for both Raikkonen and Alonso. 24 points is still pretty much with today's rules. I kinda hope that Alonso wouldn't finish in Britain and we get a very interesting season --fighting for championship till the last race.
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Poor Alonso just couldn't quite catch up to Montoya today. The fact that Montoya started of with at least 3 laps more worth of fuel (according to the announcers) didn't help either. Montoya FINALLY got a win for McLaren (I'm sure the team was like "it's about fuckin' time). The race was good in terms of car reliability, only one car had to pull out of the race (one of the Jordan cars). And with Raikkonen finishing in third, Alonso further extends his lead just a LITTLE bit more in the driver's championships.
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Excluding Montoya's success, Silverstone was exactly the same race as week ago in Magny-cours. Raikkonen's engine was blown up and he fought himself to the top, losing 2 points to Alonso in the end after Fisischella has screwed his race by shutting off his engine at the pits.
Hopefully the next race follows a different script.
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Hopefully the next race follows a different script.
Considering the next race is in Germany, it'll be interesting to see if the Schumachers and Heidfeld can do anything. Ahhhh...Hockenheim. Bratwurst, saurkraut, and big ass mugs of beer!!!
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Ferrari looks to be done for the season. Their cars don't have much race pace anymore :( . Schumacher was holding up Raikkonen just like how Trulli holds up everyone :D
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FIA announced that there are no reasons to continue disciplinary proceedings against Michelin teams about the Indy incident.
Actually, I'm surprised. I really thought they would mess up the season with this shit in the end. But better this way, nice to see some common sense in FIA.
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Took them long enough. Now hopefully the focus will go back to the actual racing.
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Hmm...Champ Car has a race tmr:
http://www.edmontonchampcar.com
With whoa, actual celebs: Paul Newman and Wayne Gretzky.
I just know Paul Tracy - the regular CART guy. The airport track is supposed to be wicked?
Just not feeling the Miss Grand Prix contest...Akinastar shoulda joined :evil:
http://www.faceofchampcar.com/
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A lot of the drivers were saying that they were really liking the track they set up there in Edmonton. It's supposedly super-fast and there are a lot of turns. Different sections are apparently wider than others, it'll make the racing strategy (like when to try and pass) pretty interesting.
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Are you other Canadians watching it right now on Global? da Matta had to pull out early (sic) and right now it's Tracy in the lead. 8)
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Are you other Canadians watching it right now on Global? da Matta had to pull out early (sic) and right now it's Tracy in the lead. 8)
You know it buddy, though as of this moment (Lap 56 of 88), Allmendinger's in the lead and Tracey's in second place about 2 seconds behind.
edit: Whoa, Allemendinger almost drifted his car right into the wall!!! Must've come within a few inches of it!!! This sure is one hell of a track!!! :w00t: :w00t: :w00t:
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Ahhhhhhhhh, Tracy just fucked up. Cost him a couple of positions. Now he's stuck in 5th.
edit: (Lap 80-ish of 88) Just had a restart, and Allmendinger's car wouldn't turn!!! He ended up in a little cul-de-sac!!! Funny thing is, the dude in second FOLLOWED HIM on his wrong turn!!! :lol: :lol: :lol: That sucks big time for Allmendinger, he had this race locked up, IMO. Oh well, at least Tracey's back to a podium position now.
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SHIT! And Gretzky appeared. He jinxed him.
They're saying the track is actually gettng faster and faster as they race. At least all the rain happened yesterday. :D
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WHOA!!!!!!!!! Wilson just spun out off of Glock's tire!!! That was so close to being a bigger crash.
Edit: Fuck DON'T interview Allmendinger now!!! :x :x :x What kind of shit is that?!?!!?! Of course he's gonna blame himself!!! He's the driver, he can't help but blame himself unless the pit boys find a problem with the car!
edit 2: Final results - 1st Bourdais, 2nd Servia, 3rd Tracy. Hell of a sweet race, IMO. They definitely got to bring this back next year.
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FINAL LAP!!
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So it was French race driver Sebastien Bourdais (http://tsn.ca/news_story.asp?ID=130667&hubName=main)in the end! At least Tracy came in 3rd to represent :canada:
Nice Paul Newman was there too!
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So it was French race driver Sebastien Bourdais (http://tsn.ca/news_story.asp?ID=130667&hubName=main)in the end! At least Tracy came in 3rd to represent :canada:
Nice Paul Newman was there too!
Newman hardly, if ever, misses a race day. After all, he does co-own the Newman-Haas Team. Dude's a pretty big racing freak, plus he probably wants to make sure his investment is being used well and is yielding good results.
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i dont understand how ppl can be interested in racing sport.
well, i just like to play some racing-GAMES, but i cant c that on tv...
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^ Yeah, the hours of laps are boring but when they finally get to the final laps, I check it out :P
Newman hardly, if ever, misses a race day. After all, he does co-own the Newman-Haas Team. Dude's a pretty big racing freak, plus he probably wants to make sure his investment is being used well and is yielding good results.
Yeah. He's pretty hands on too. Like David Letterman. We got a 3 year contract and it was pretty successful, with over 200,000 in attendance over the weekend.
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i dont understand how ppl can be interested in racing sport.
well, i just like to play some racing-GAMES, but i cant c that on tv...
To each his own. With F1 races, I watch the whole thing. After all, you never know when the inevitable crash is gonna happen. I try to do the same with Champ Car, but I can't watch a whole IRL/NASCAR race. Looping around in circles for 2.5 to 3 hours just bores the hell outta me.
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Alonso won in Hockenheim. He probably won the championship too. There's no way that Raikkonen could beat him now.
Congratulations to the youngest champion ever and good bye to the exciting endseason.
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Ferrari.... absolutely no race pace :? . They keep going slower and slower as the race progresses
:hammer:
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Alonso won in Hockenheim. He probably won the championship too. There's no way that Raikkonen could beat him now.
Congratulations to the youngest champion ever and good bye to the exciting endseason.
Well, mathematically it's still possible, I think... :? :? :? But in order for it to happen Alonso would have to have a whole lot of DNFs and Raikkonen would have to completely dominate and win most (if not all of) the rest of the races left this year. Realistically speaking though, yeah, Alonso pretty much has it wrapped up.
And poor Danica. Started her race this past sunday in 6th, but crashed out. Don't worry, she walked away from it without any apparent injuries.
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Raikkonen wins at Hungaroring \o/
But more important, Alonso didn't get points. Suddenly the season feels interesting again. Even Schumacher was trying some kind of comeback... Too bad McLaren can't get both cars to the finish line.
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Too bad McLaren can't get both cars to the finish line.
I couldn't really care less about Montoya not finishing. Those crashes at the start of the race were sweet though!!! My favourite ones were where Coulthard ran right into someone's front wing that had broken off from a previous collision, and his front suspension just TORE to shreds, and when Klein and Villeneuve touched tires and Klien totally flipped his car!!! (don't worry, the roll cage protected him and he was fine) :w00t: :w00t: :w00t:
On a side note, I was watching the replay of Wind Tunnel with Dave Despain this morning, and there are a lot of rumours over who's going to be driving for which team next year. For anyone who didn't see this, this is what they said on the show (remember that these are just RUMORS):
a) Jenson Button now wishes to STAY with BAR Honda instead of going over to Williams as he was apparently scheduled to next season. Problem for Button is, he has already signed a contract with Williams, and Williams is refusing to let him out of it. So now he may be "FORCED" to leave BAR Honda and drive for Williams. If this is true in all likelihood current Williams driver Nick Heidfeld will be let go.
b) Due to the contract that Button signed, BAR Honda isn't betting that Button will be allowed to stay with them for next season. Therefore, they have apparently agreed (at least in principle) to have Rubens Barichello drive for them next season as his contract with Ferrari ends this season.
c) Believe it or not, if Rubens leaves Ferrari and goes to BAR, there are a couple of rumours over who may take his spot. First possibility is Felipe Massa. He was a test driver with Ferrari for a few years before he got his own ride.
d) The other rumoured replacement driver is David Coulthard. It's a bit of a strange pairing because the normal trend would be to bring in a younger driver to partner with Michael (to have a mentor/student type working relationship).
Now the way the Ferrari rumour goes, because Michael isn't likely to be leaving the team, Massa's/Coulthard's contract would only be for ONE season, so that Ferrari can bring in the driver that they REALLY want to have...Raikkonen.
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Too bad McLaren can't get both cars to the finish line.
I couldn't really care less about Montoya not finishing.
I don't care about Montoya either, but if at least one McLaren is going to break in every race, it doesn't promise good to Raikkonen either.
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Ferrari confirm Barrichello exit (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/motorsport/formula_one/4731831.stm)
so looks like barrichello is going to BAR. if button stays i am guessing barrichello will be #1 but button won't be happy for sure. as a fan of the japanese teams i'm glad BAR signed him, he will make the team much more competitive.
masa is a good choice. decent driver but won't whine about not being number 1 :lol:
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Ferrari confirm Barrichello exit (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/motorsport/formula_one/4731831.stm)
so looks like barrichello is going to BAR. if button stays i am guessing barrichello will be #1 but button won't be happy for sure. as a fan of the japanese teams i'm glad BAR signed him, he will make the team much more competitive.
It's not likely that Button will stay. As I said before he's already signed a contract with Williams, and it's unlikely that they'll release him from it. As far as Rubens making BAR more competitive, remember that they still have to have a good quality car. Last year BAR was competing neck and neck with Ferrari because they had totally bitchin', reliable cars and two drivers that could make the most out of them. This year, they've got the same two drivers with the same skills, but they haven't had the same results because the cars this year just haven't held up as well. A good driver like Rubens is a start, the team still have to provide him with good equipment for him to be competitive.
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I'd like to see how well Rossi will do in F1 :w00t:
http://f1.racing-live.com/f1/en/headlines/news/detail/050803113943.shtml
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I'd like to see how well Rossi will do in F1 :w00t:
http://f1.racing-live.com/f1/en/headlines/news/detail/050803113943.shtml
Well, notice that the article said that he's NOT going to be available until 2007, as he's under contract to continue with MotoGP through 2006. There's still a lot of time for Ferrari to pick and sign someone else. Just because he test-drove one of their cars doesn't necessarily mean he's going to join the team
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Suffering from F1 withdrawal. I've caved in and am watching IRL. DANICAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!
Ok, I just witnessed a bunch of guys making pit stops, and TWO cars both lost one of their rear tires as they were leaving pit lane!!! :lol: :lol: :lol:
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Ok, at least a couple of the rumours that have been floating around F1 have been confirmed:
Rubens Barichello will leave Ferarri at the end of the current season and join BAR Honda (http://www.formula1.com/news/3436.html) The lucky driver who will take over Rubens' spot at Ferarri next year will be Felipe Massa, who used to be a test driver for Ferarri and who has been very open about his desire to drive competitively for Ferarri.
BMW will no longer be associated with the Williams F1 team. Instead, BMW will now be partnered with Sauber, and Williams will get their engines supplied by Cosworth (http://www.formula1.com/news/3435.html), who currently also supply engines to the entire Champ Car series and who also supplied engines to the former Jaguar F1 team.
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BMW will no longer be associated with the Williams F1 team. Instead, BMW will now be partnered with Sauber, and Williams will get their engines supplied by Cosworth (http://www.formula1.com/news/3435.html), who currently also supply engines to the entire Champ Car series and who also supplied engines to the former Jaguar F1 team.
Interesting to see is the change to V8 engines really so difficult to the other teams as Williams says. Mercedes-Benz, Ferrari and BMW may not have a lot of experience about V8 engines, but they have more money and resources for developement than Cosworth, which is not as big in F1.
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Interesting to see is the change to V8 engines really so difficult to the other teams as Williams says. Mercedes-Benz, Ferrari and BMW may not have a lot of experience about V8 engines, but they have more money and resources for developement than Cosworth, which is not as big in F1.
The change to the V8 engines is primarily to in an effort to reduce speed and try and better equalize the competitiveness between the teams. The bigger, richer, (usually) factory-based teams, like Ferarri and McLaren and BAR Honda, obviously have more funding available for things like aerodynamic design and wind tunnel testing and engine development than the smaller, private teams (like Minardi and Jordan) do. It's why they've made the rule changes regarding limiting downforce and wing design and such. In the end, whoever adapts the best will be the team(s) that remain competitive.
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Raikkonen won again in Istabul... Surprising to see Mercedes-Benz engines last too races in a row. The first time this season? What is not so surprising, Montoya screwed up in the last lap again.
Finnish TV channel had interviewed Ferrari's technical director, Ross Brawn, he said it straight up that Ferrari would like to have Raikkonen rather than Alonso after Schumacher quits.
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Looks like those rumours I had heard about and posted previously DO have some merit to them (i.e. Ferarri wanting Raikkonen).
Fuck I missed the race!!! :evil: :evil: :evil: The clinic I was in didn't have the right channel and by the time I got home the replay was already done!!! :x :x :x And yet, somehow I'm not surprised that Alonso won again. I really wanted to see the new track that they built in Istanbul, too. :cry: :cry: :cry:
EDIT: Saw Sportscentre last night. Said Alonso got second. Actually Raikkonen won the race.
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Jenson Button had a great race today and the silly BAR Honda team showed some potential. Too bad Jenson Button's future is still a mess right now ... :(. I'd rather see him stay at BAR than be stuck at Williams
..and Montoya is a noob. :lol:
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German magazine Bild told that Raikkonen would have a pre-contract with Ferrari and may be switching places with Schumacher already in the next season.
This rumour was shot down pretty quick by Ferrari, Raikkonen and McLaren, but that is what they usually do with rumours :) It would be very interesting to see this rumour becoming true.
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Interesting race at Monza today. Raikkonen has to be the unluckiest driver ever with engine and tire reliability problems. He has the fastest car and is the fastest driver this season but he can never seem to have a trouble-free weekend. Montoya was lucky his left rear lasted for the final few laps of the race. Alonso should have no problems winning the championship this season. Flavio must be stroking his penis right now in excitement :jerk:
:D
Poor BAR though. They had a great start but their car struggled as the race went on :(
Next weekend is Spa. Great track for a great race :w00t:
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Italian GP in Monza today.
Montoya won at last, but it was a close call though :) I kinda hoped him not to finish, just seeing Raikkonen in press conference with Alonso. Too bad Raikkonen had problems with tires too, it would have been interesting fight for second place.
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Belgian Grand Prix:
BUWAAAAAAAAAAAA HAAAAAAAA HAAAAAAAAAA HAAAAAAAAA HAAAAAA HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Fuck I LOVED it when Montoya crashed and took himself out of the race with only, what, 5 laps to go? That was THE BEST!!!! He had lead like, 85% of the race, then he fucks himself over!!! :lol: :lol: :lol: I'm not laughing with him, I'm laughing AT him!!! :damnfunny :lmao: :damnfunny
Good on Raikkonen for biding his time, and making his move while Montoya was in the pits to build up a lead that couldn't be overcome. With Alonso getting second, the race for the drivers' championship is still on!!!
Other F1 tidbits I recently heard:
- Red Bull Racing is BUYING OUT the Minardi team!!! :o :shock: :o Come next season RBR will field a team of 4 cars!!! I could be wrong, but I think that this might be history making in the world of F1 racing. To my knowledge, NO F1 team has ever fielded more than 2 cars in one season, if for nothing else due to the major costs at having to design, develop, test, and build the cars. Granted, NASCAR and IRL both have had teams (past and present), that were able to field teams of more than 2 cars. Then again, the race tracks/courses they run are nowhere near as difficult/challenging as ANY F1 circuit. Since they only/predominantly race around in circles, they don't have to spend as much time, effort or money on things like aerodynamics and gear ratios for changing elevations.
- Yet another chapter in the upsoming off-season game of "musical drivers". Looks like Nick Heidfeld is done with Williams. With Button coming over next season from BAR, and Mark Webber's position within the team apparently secure, it looks like Heidfeld will go and take Felipe Massa's spot over at Sauber next year when they're taken over and become the BMW factory team (remember that Massa's going over to Ferrari next season).
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Good race. :)
Montoya crashing out was the highlight of the race. In fact, him crashing out of any race is always fun to watch :D. He fucks Raikkonen over time after time by letting Alonso get more points in the race. The driver's championship is still opened but Alonso has pretty much won it. His car is reliable and fast enough to let him finish him up in the points without taking many risks, while Raikkonen has to push like hell to win and hope his car can last.
Sato drove like an idiot and rammed Schumacher pretty hard since the rear wing and suspension were broken. I think he has a 10 spot grid penalty for next race. During the race, ITV interviewed Sato and he just said "no grip.. couldn't brake". Well no shit samurai, the track was wet.
(I don't hate Sato. He's a good driver but just a bit too aggressive at times) :p
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Yeah, one of the criticisms of Sato is that he's sometimes too aggressive, almost to the point of being reckless. Schumacher was pissed at him and rightfully so.
I think the 10-spot penalty was actually for this race, he changed his engine, didn't he? I remember hearing someone did.
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I'm a NASCAR fan.
Carl Edwards for me. [Mainly since he's from my hometown.]
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Nope the gird penalty is for next race. Fisi was the one with the engine change. :p
http://www.formula1.com/race/news/3586/747.html
Pizzonia was only fined because they didn't know Heifeld might miss out on Brazil too at the time.
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- Red Bull Racing is BUYING OUT the Minardi team!!! :o :shock: :o Come next season RBR will field a team of 4 cars!!! I could be wrong, but I think that this might be history making in the world of F1 racing. To my knowledge, NO F1 team has ever fielded more than 2 cars in one season, if for nothing else due to the major costs at having to design, develop, test, and build the cars. Granted, NASCAR and IRL both have had teams (past and present), that were able to field teams of more than 2 cars. Then again, the race tracks/courses they run are nowhere near as difficult/challenging as ANY F1 circuit. Since they only/predominantly race around in circles, they don't have to spend as much time, effort or money on things like aerodynamics and gear ratios for changing elevations.
I guess the Minardi (or whatever the team's name will be) will still be a independent team, which is only owned by Red Bull Racing. I guess the team's role is to be some kind of farm team for Red Bull.
I think it's kinda interesting from Red Bull to buy Minardi, I would have expected this from Ferrari or other bigger teams.
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I guess the Minardi (or whatever the team's name will be) will still be a independent team, which is only owned by Red Bull Racing. I guess the team's role is to be some kind of farm team for Red Bull.
I think it's kinda interesting from Red Bull to buy Minardi, I would have expected this from Ferrari or other bigger teams.
I dunno, the way I heard it, they will no longer be a separate team. RBR will be a single team, with 4 cars next year (like I said, this is the way I've heard it, I could be wrong). As far as to why one of the bigger teams like Ferrari didn't buy them out, who knows? It may have just been something they hadn't considered doing.
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BRAWN ADMITS TO F2005 FAILINGS
http://www.itv-f1.com/News_Article.aspx?PO_ID=34069
"we fucked up"
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I guess the Minardi (or whatever the team's name will be) will still be a independent team, which is only owned by Red Bull Racing. I guess the team's role is to be some kind of farm team for Red Bull.
I think it's kinda interesting from Red Bull to buy Minardi, I would have expected this from Ferrari or other bigger teams.
I dunno, the way I heard it, they will no longer be a separate team. RBR will be a single team, with 4 cars next year (like I said, this is the way I've heard it, I could be wrong). As far as to why one of the bigger teams like Ferrari didn't buy them out, who knows? It may have just been something they hadn't considered doing.
I don't know about the rules changes nest season, but I think it's in the rulebook that a team can't have more than two cars in a race. Big teams have a third car in practices though.
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I guess the Minardi (or whatever the team's name will be) will still be a independent team, which is only owned by Red Bull Racing. I guess the team's role is to be some kind of farm team for Red Bull.
I think it's kinda interesting from Red Bull to buy Minardi, I would have expected this from Ferrari or other bigger teams.
I dunno, the way I heard it, they will no longer be a separate team. RBR will be a single team, with 4 cars next year (like I said, this is the way I've heard it, I could be wrong). As far as to why one of the bigger teams like Ferrari didn't buy them out, who knows? It may have just been something they hadn't considered doing.
I don't know about the rules changes nest season, but I think it's in the rulebook that a team can't have more than two cars in a race. Big teams have a third car in practices though.
In any case, we'll just have to wait and see. Whatever the end result, I just hope it makes for good racing competition.
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Brazilian Grand Prix -
Congradulations to Fernando Alonso Diaz on becoming, at the tender age of 24 years, the youngest EVER Formula One World Champion!!!
Well, all he had to do was finish on the podium or make sure he didn't place more than 5 points behind his nearest competitor, Kimi Raikkonen, in this race. In clinching the title today, Alonso has broken Michael Schumacher's streak of 1813 consecutive days as world champion. Sure it would have been more dramatic if Alonso had actually WON the race that nailed the championship for him, but what the hey, he's STILL DA CHAMP!!! :cheers :cheers :cheers
On a bit of a downer, Montoya was the one who won today's race. :( :( :( I would've preferred Raikkonen to win, IF one of the McLaren's had to win. But whatever, at least Montoya's win is going to be forever overshadowed by Alonso's Championship run.
While the Driver's Championship is now wrapped up, with the 1-2 finish for McLaren, they have now taken the lead in the Constructor's Championship from Renault. And with 2 or 3 races STILL to come, the season sure as hell ain't done yet!!!
Rumours mentioned during the broadcast:
Nick Heidfeld has chosen to sit out the rest of the current F1 season. This is apparently he's pissed that team Williams chose to bench him during the last race and instead had Antonio Pizzonia compete in the race. Doesn't seem like Heidfeld really cares at this point about what Williams does with him. He's leaving at the end of the season anyway and joining the soon-to-be new BMW factory team (currently the Sauber team).
Sato Takuma's future at BAR Honda is in question. It hasn't been confirmed whether or not his contract will be renewed. If it's not, Jordan-Midland is apparently REALLY interested in bringing him on the team to bring some experience.
It doesn't appear like Ford-Cosworth will be supplying Red Bull Racing with engines next year as it currently does. With Cosworth seemingly now going to be an exclusive partners with team Williams, Toyota is rumoured to be the new engine supplier for RBR. If this is the case, Toyota apparently has at least ONE condition for the deal. This condition is that they be allowed to bring in a driver of THIER choice (amongst their choices, Sato Takuma) to take one of the FOUR driver's spots that there will be in the soon to be expanded RBR team.
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Oeoeoeoe oe oe oe CAMPEÓN!!!!!!
Youngest racer and first spanish to win in F1!!!
(http://www.marca.com/home/fotos_portada_grande/fernando_grita.jpg)
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Did anyone watch A1GP? There's absolutely no coverage in North America. I'll watch a bit of it through streaming tv when Star Sports shows it ... tape delayed :(
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Yay for the new champion.
I'm a little disappointed though.Iit was like too easy for Alonso. After Schumacher era it would have been nice to see some real fighting for the championship till the last race. But like TheQuickening said, the greatest thing is that Schumacher's winning streak is finally over :)
Did anyone watch A1GP? There's absolutely no coverage in North America. I'll watch a bit of it through streaming tv when Star Sports shows it ... tape delayed
Isn't this a series where different countries have their own teams? Interesting idea. I heard about the series when a finnish former F1 champion Keke Rosberg was reported to run austrian team with Niki Lauda.
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Did anyone watch A1GP? There's absolutely no coverage in North America.
To be honest, I've never personally heard of it.
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More info about the A1GP http://a1gp.com.
Speaking of other series, does anyone of you watched GP2? They're racing at the same circuits as Formula 1 and the final gp is held in Bahrain next weekend.
As a finn I find this series very interesting, because a finn, Heikki Kovalainen and a half-finn, Nico Rosberg, are fighting for the championship. Rosberg is 3 points ahead Kovalainen, who was leading the series all the season until Spa, before the last race.
The series is full of former F1 champions' sons. Like Nico Rosberg, Mathias Lauda (I guess he's driving A1GP too) and Nelson Piquet jr.
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Reigning IRL Champ Tony Kanaan recently had the opportunity to test drive an F1 car (with the BAR Honda team). It is NOT a prelude to him possibly jumping ship and joining an F1 team in the near future, however. It was just an opportunity for him to try something new, something different than what he's used to. He was interviewed by the good people at http://www.formula1.com :
Kanaan Pre-Test Interview (http://www.formula1.com/news/3662.html)
Kanaan Post-Test Interview (http://www.formula1.com/news/3665.html)
Lookie, they even gave him his "own" sticker to identify the car he'd be driving:
(http://www.formula1.com/photos/597x478/manual/kanaan03_280905.jpg)(http://www.formula1.com/photos/597x478/manual/kanaan01_29.jpg)
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More F1 rumors: Britihs Sunday Mirror has reported that Kimi Raikkonen has a finished contract with Ferrari, just waiting for his signing. Raikkonen would drive ferrari in 2007.
Nico Rosberg won the GP2 series :(
I guess he would be Williams' third driver next season.
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Suzuka 2005 was the best fucking race this year. OMG. There was action every single lap right down to the final lap when Kimi passed Fisi for 1st and the win. Alonso passing Schumacher at 130R full throttle was insane, Schumacher's smooth defensive driving in his weak Ferrari was class, everything was just so damn amazing! Toyota and Honda had front row for the race, but disappeared to the back as the race went on .. hehe
Maybe that mysterious F1 team might rethink their choice of having Sato drive for them after seeing what happened this race :lol:
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Suzuka was indeed a great race. The best of the season. It would have been even better if the championship woud be still open. But at least the constructor's championship gives some excitement to racing.
They should try a system, where starting grid would be determined by championship points reversed. Like championship leader would start from place 20 or something.. There would be a lot more overtaking that way. I don't know would it work if the series wouldn't be so uneven as it is now.
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Just read the news that Williams is getting Toyota engines for season 2007. Engines are named Lexus, but are actually identical with Toyota engines. Williams doesn't have to pay anything, because Lexus would be one of Williams' sponsors... I guess Toyota owns Lexus brand or something :D
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End of F1 :(
Renault wins constructor's and the fan-fucking-tastic quality control of China ruined any chance Mclaren had of challenging Renault for the championship. I've always said that China is not capable of running these major international events yet because no matter how much money they put into it, the workers will only do a half-assed job. I know because I'm chinese. I just hope they don't screw up the 2008 Olympics too...
Anyways, horrible weekend for Michael Schumacher though. He got ran over by Albers during the out lap and lost control under the safety car. :( I'm sure Ferrari will come back with a much better machine next season. This whole season was a disgrace lol
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Anyways, horrible weekend for Michael Schumacher though. He got ran over by Albers during the out lap and lost control under the safety car. :( I'm sure Ferrari will come back with a much better machine next season. This whole season was a disgrace lol
Well Schumacher was guilty to the accident with Albers. It's nice to see something like that from him. He's always accusing other drivers for ruining his races :)
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Here's an article about the drain cover problem in Shanghai:
The Australian V8-Supercars visited the circuit earlier this year in June when driver Mark Winterbottom hit the kerbs and drain. The drain came loss and ripped the bottom of his car in two pieces and even damaged the driver's seat a bit.
...
In 2004 when the DTM series visited Shanghai for a race through the streets of Shanghai there was the same sort of problem. Worksmen had to weld the manhole covers after an incident with Bernd Mayländer.
http://www.f1racing.net/en/news.php?newsID=101600
(http://img334.imageshack.us/img334/8708/533403an.th.jpg) (http://img334.imageshack.us/my.php?image=533403an.jpg)
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I wonder if that Bernd Mayländer is the same guy who drives the safety car in Formula 1. Or drove.
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On a bit of a downer, Montoya was the one who won today's race. :( :( :( I would've preferred Raikkonen to win, IF one of the McLaren's had to win.
No way. Montoya is way better than that car-breaker Raikkonen. Now that Alonso has the championship, I would like to see Montoya win the next year, he really deserves it.
Damn Kimi signing for Ferrari really sucks :P
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hey here's a link that's about racing and music!
renault celebrates championship (http://paultan.org/archives/2005/10/24/renault-v10-engine-sings)
F1 have without a doubt the best sounding engines in racing.
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hey here's a link that's about racing and music!
renault celebrates championship (http://paultan.org/archives/2005/10/24/renault-v10-engine-sings)
I can't wait the first full-length symphony composed for F1 engines :)
F1 have without a doubt the best sounding engines in racing.
I prefer more lower tune in engines... :)
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No doubt. I love just sitting back, and listening to those engines purr. Makes you wonder if/how it will change when they switch to the V8's next season.
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FIA revealed a new rear wing for season 2007 or 2008:
(http://www.formula1.com/photos/597x478/manual/fia_cdg-wing_full.jpg)
Read more about it here (http://www.formula1.com/news/3764.html)
So, what do you think? Imo it's a little ugly and looks stupid, but if it's increases "dramatically" overtaking like FIA states, it's just a good thing.
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It's a bit ugly... ok not a bit. It IS ugly :evil:
I just hope it doesn't make passing toooo easy or else it'll affect the defensive driving element in F1.
And btw the major 2006 changes:
It is understood that the qualifying format was voted in unanimously by the Commission while the return to tyre changes received some opposition but was carried through in the meeting. The banning of spare cars for 2006 and the end to third cars running in Friday practice sessions, was not accepted, however, due to opposition from many of the smaller teams who benefit from that ruling.
The knockout format for qualifying will see five cars drop out after 15 minutes then another five out after a second 15-minute session before the remaining cars battle for the top grid spots in a final 20 minutes. To retain the successful element that has mixed up grids this season the final ten cars will have to qualify carrying the amount of fuel with which they will start the race, bringing race strategy into the grid-deciding runs.
http://f1.racing-live.com/f1/en/headlines/news/detail/051024171903.shtml
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Ugly or not, if it helps draw in more spectators, then go for it (at least for one season). This new wing design is supposed to help bring more "passing" to F1. One of the biggest complaints about F1 (at least from a lot of American fans) is that F1 races don't really make passing practical/feasible as in NASCAR and IRL. Worst comes to worst, they try it for a season, ditch it, and go back to the more "traditional" wings.
I kinda like the idea of bringing back the slicks.
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It's a bit ugly... ok not a bit. It IS ugly :evil:
I just hope it doesn't make passing toooo easy or else it'll affect the defensive driving element in F1.
Defensive driving element? Is there anything like that in F1? It's already against rules to change drive line to prevent passing.
I've watched couple MotoGP races lately and the leader changes almost every lap and the race is exciting till the finish line.I would be happy if F1 ever gets even close to that, with or without the new wing :)
The new qualifying system sounds good to me. I wonder if they're gonna change the engine change rule... It was kinda stupid imo.
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I rather liked the "no changing engines" rule they had this year. With thi srule, the engines have gotten more reliable, there have been FAR fewer engine failures this season than there were last year (when at least 2-3 engines would/could fail per race). It's nice to see more of the cars that start the race, actally lasting for the entire, if not most of the race.
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I think exploding engines are part of the fun :) But I don't like that if the engine is broken in a practice session, it'll affect to the race so much.
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Former japanese driver Aguri Suzuki will run the 11th F1 team (Honda's second team) in 2006 named Super Aguri (:D). The new team will be japanese based, eventhough it's not sure if both drivers will be japanese or not.
It seems that japanese are really contributing to Formula 1. I hope it means more japanese drivers in the future.
News about Super Aguri @ Formula1.com (http://www.formula1.com/news/3785.html)
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Former japanese driver Aguri Suzuki will run the 11th F1 team (Honda's second team) in 2006 named Super Aguri (:D). The new team will be japanese based, eventhough it's not sure if both drivers will be japanese or not.
It seems that japanese are really contributing to Formula 1. I hope it means more japanese drivers in the future.
News about Super Aguri @ Formula1.com (http://www.formula1.com/news/3785.html)
Hope Takuma takes a seat in the new team. Didnt they call it Aguri-Honda?
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Hope Takuma takes a seat in the new team. Didnt they call it Aguri-Honda?
I'll be disappointed if the team's name will be boring Aguri-Honda. I like Super Aguri! :D
Btw, this year's GP2 champion Nico Rosberg will be driving Williams next season.
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Awesome, The Champ Car World Series has found a home in Edmonton for at least the next five summers.
http://www.tsn.ca/auto_racing/news_story.asp?id=143442
and it will be aired on CBS (American TV) !!!
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Congradulations to Danica Patrick on her wedding to some lucky bastard. (She's 23, he is, quite possibly, the luckiest 40-year old physical therapist IN THE WORLD!!!)
Danica Wedding article - Seattle Times (Nov. 23, 2005) (http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/motorsports/2002640975_digs23.html)
Also, Danica will be promoting a new line of snack cakes along with fellow racing babes Melanie Troxel and Leilani Munter. *rawr* :jerk: :jerk: :jerk:
(http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/ABPub/2005/11/22/2002640861.jpg)
From left, Melanie Troxel, Danica Patrick, Leilani Munter promote snacks.
Danica's Official Website (http://www.danicaracing.com)
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Speaking of female race drivers, I read today that Katherine Legge crashed her Minardi in Formula1 testing session in Italy yesterday.
It would be nice to see some women driving in F1 series too.
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Shocking News! (http://www.formula1.com/news/3888.html)
World Champion Fernando Alonso will be driving for McLaren from 2007.
I think this greatly increases the chances that Raikkonen will change team after next season. He might already have an unannounced pre-contract with another team, and that's why McLaren wanted Alonso. Two top drivers fighting for championship with equal car and technology would be nice though (like Senna and Prost at McLaren late 1980's).
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Shocking News! (http://www.formula1.com/news/3888.html)
World Champion Fernando Alonso will be driving for McLaren from 2007.
I think this greatly increases the chances that Raikkonen will change team after next season. He might already have an unannounced pre-contract with another team, and that's why McLaren wanted Alonso.
Well, remember that in one of my earlier "rumour" posts I mentioned that Ferrari only signed Massa as it's second driver for only one-year because they were looking to sign Raikkonen for 2007. With the news about Alonso, it now looks more and more like the rumours I found were true.
In other F1 news, there are some rule changes (http://www.formula1.com/insight/rulesandregs/13/995.html) coming to 2006. Changes include a new qualifying format, the return of tire/tyre changing during races, and the new V8 engine.
The FIA has decided that starting in 2007, all F1 racers will be running on Bridgestone tires. Apparently the original decision was to switch in 2008, but upon hearing the news that they were on the outs, Michelin decided to voluntarily withdraw from F1.*article here* (http://www.formula1.com/news/3882.html)
It's just as well with Michelin going, IMO. I imagine that they're still receiving flak (at least from U.S. F1 fans) over the fiasco at this year's U.S. Grand Prix. Plus, with everyone running the same rubber, it will put them all on more of an equal footing (so to speak).
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Returning tyre changes is great, but I'd like to see more than one tyre supplier. I'm also a fan of last season's single lap qualifying system, but the new knockout doesn't sound bad either.
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Cool, racing fans.
I agree that allowing tire changes again is a good idea. It sounds a bit safer when you consider how much wear and tear these tires go through in a race. Granted, the "one set per race" idea definitely brought new ideas and strategies on race day, but I think tire changing is definitely a better idea.
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Whoa! Paul Tracy to NASCAR!
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I guess that the ones who caugh by surprise that moving of Alonso to McLaren were the Renault people. But I suppose that if they were about to leave F1 after these year...
To the new rules
Qualification system: I don't like the idea. I prefered the single lap. Having all cars in the circuit is again, for me, a bad idea, having the fastest lap in trouble because of other cars and all that.
Engines: OK. I find interesting, but again let's see if it really can make something to increase the competitivness of the race.
Tyres: Fine with the change since the rule of not changing was proving to be dangerous in some circuits
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what are they doing to the engines and tires?
i lost interest in F1 after Mika Hakinen stopped racing. (What happened to him anyways?)
Mika's rivalry with Shumacher was the best.
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i lost interest in F1 after Mika Hakinen stopped racing. (What happened to him anyways?)
I think he was into another kind of racing in Finland. But I could be wrong.
Agree with the Mika/Michael rivalry but it have been better rivalrities in F1. For example Senna and Prost...
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what are they doing to the engines and tires?
They change from last season's V10 engines to V8 engines. There's an option to use V10 engines with limited power. Tyre changes are allowed in 2006 and iirc tires are slicks again.
i lost interest in F1 after Mika Hakinen stopped racing. (What happened to him anyways?)
He started driving DTM (German Touring car series) in Germany last year. He did quite well and even won a race in his rookie season. Hakkinen has also participated in Arctic Rally held in northern Finland.
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oh cool
Agree with the Mika/Michael rivalry but it have been better rivalrities in F1. For example Senna and Prost...
cant remember that one lol
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Agree with the Mika/Michael rivalry but it have been better rivalrities in F1. For example Senna and Prost...
There's always hate in good rivalry. Senna and Prost had it and Schumacher and Hill kinda had it. They were rivals at track, but also enemies in the real life :) Schumacher and Hakkinen kinda lacked personal hatred towards each other. Or they covered it too well.
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Whoa! Paul Tracy to NASCAR!
It's only gonna be part-time, he's still gonna be primarily in Champ Car, I hear.
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Whoa! Paul Tracy to NASCAR!
It's only gonna be part-time, he's still gonna be primarily in Champ Car, I hear.
Yeah, they're going to schedule his NASCAR races for times when he's not racing for Champ Car. He's not even gonna be racing against the big boys like Tony Stewart or Dale Junior, he's going to be racing in the "Busch Series", which is sorta like a "junior league", I think.
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Whoa, Michael Schumacher may retire partway through the upcoming race season if Ferrari isn't competetive.
ARTICLE LINK (http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&pubid=968163964505&cid=1137066009727&col=1053692575155&call_page=TSS_Main&call_pageid=968867503640&call_pagepath=Sports/Index)
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I understood correctly, he won't retire during the season in any case, he'll just decide if he's continuing his career in 2007.
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Daytona 500 is today!
Who's your picks?
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JJ Yeley!
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It's NASCAR. Don't really care if you can't turn/steer to the right. :lol:
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^ all the hicks dig it!! :lol:
Jimmie Johnson finally does it! (http://sports.yahoo.com/nascar/news;_ylt=AjxT3DsbkLjkB431I5oWQGTov7YF?slug=ap-nascar-daytona500&prov=ap&type=lgns)
(http://img49.imageshack.us/img49/7113/olyfull56726357gl008daytona500.jpg)
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Watch f1 when i get the chance. A fan of Honda^^ and now there are 2 honda team
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Whoa, hey flare!!! :welcome :welcome :welcome Glad to see another F1 fan here!!! Hopefully now when the new season starts (and as it progresses) we'll get more commentary on the races/racers.
Oh, and Paul Tracey had his first race in the NASCAR Busch series last weekend. He was actually doing quite well (top 15-ish I think), until he hit the wall a couple of times. He finished somewhere around 24th. Not bad for a debut.
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I'm waiting new F1 season already. Last week Mercedes' racing director (or whatever his title is) Norbert Haug said that McLaren's new V8 engine's development is awfully late and they're currently at the level where they should have been in December. According to Haug, Mercedes' new engine has also less power than other teams'.
This is interesting, because they have driven quite good in tests.
Super Aguri also announced their drivers for 2006: Takuma Sato and Yuji Ide. Nice to see more japanese in the series.
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WOOHOOO!!!! SOOO nice to see that there are racing fans here!!! :D :D Except loving H!P I'm a huge motorsport fan (and Ferrari, Schumi-fan)!! And yes, it's very nice to see more japaense in F1. It's the first time there is a completely japanese team in F1 with a japanese driver line-up and a japanese engine (Honda). :D
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They're changing the track profile in Imola. The chicane before pit lane, Variante Bassa, will be straightened up.
Imo it's just a good thing. They overdid the building of "safety chicanes" after Senna's and Ratzenberger's deaths in 1994.
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They're changing the track profile in Imola. The chicane before pit lane, Variante Bassa, will be straightened up.
Imo it's just a good thing. They overdid the building of "safety chicanes" after Senna's and Ratzenberger's deaths in 1994.
I totally agree with you, Imola is just one the most boring tracks in F1 and this change will hopefully create a better overtake chance in the end of that stretch :)
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new Super Aguri pictures in the middle: http://www.f1total.com/bilder/cat.php?c=06sil3
Start of 2006 season is soon... :)
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Weird to see snow on F1 cars :)
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Weird to see Takuma Sato in a F1 car ;)
8)
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Weird to see Takuma Sato in a F1 car ;)
8)
You are kidding, right? :shock:
If not, where have you been? Living under a rock? Sato has been in F1 for at least the past 5 racing seasons, driving either competitively or as a test driver. He's driven competively for Jordan (2002) and most recently (2004-2005) for BAR Honda. Beginning this season he'll be driving for the Super Aguri team.
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It's a joke. It's because of his driving style and the mistakes he makes on the race track (in a race, not testing), which forced Honda to drop him after 2005. :|
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Oh, a joke. Ok *whew* :lol:
Yeah, Sato can be really aggressive, to the point where he can get reckless and make stupid mistakes. With the right car, if he can learn to calm himself down and "race smarter" he can definitely be a force to be reckoned with.
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Honda ..... wow..... just ..... wow.. :shock:
Kimi Raikkonen’s V8 record lap of 1:09:423 set yesterday in testing at Valencia was eclipsed today by Anthony Davidson in the Honda RA106.
Davidson stopped the clocks with an impressive best lap of 1:08.543s, completing 70 laps in his Honda. His time was in fact even quicker than the record V10 time recorded (1:09.005s) by Raikkonen just over a year ago.
http://f1.racing-live.com/f1/en/headlines/news/detail/060302175239.shtml
2006 looks to be a great season :)
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Yay for Honda! It would be great to have a season with four teams capable of fighting the championship.
I like Takuma Sato's driving style. It's aggressive and maybe not the safest style, but at least it's not so boring.
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It's only 3 days till the 2006 season start in Bahrain. So it's time to place your bets, until you get biased by the first pre-race practice, qualifications or the race itself.
As a pessimistic finn, I wouldn't like to go with Raikkonen... But I don't want Ferrari to win anything, another shitty season for them is ok (I'm allowing them to win again in 2007 though). Alonso won the championship last season, so probably he won't do it again. And Honda takes two grandprix wins this season, but that isn't enough for the championship. So that leaves only Raikkonen, who has been the second three seasons a row now or something.
What do you think?
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I can't wait to see the new things coming this year like the new V8 engines, the new qualifying format, and the return of allowing tire changes during the race.
Somehow I get the feeling Ferarri will have a decent start to the season, but it will be average at best over the long run. I hate to say it, but I'm thinking Montoya will be the first big gun to jump out of the gate and grab a few wins.
Now that the cars will have V8 engines, I'm also hoping that it will balance things out a bit more and equalized the playing field for the smaller teams like Midland (formerly known as Jordan) Toro Rosso (formerly known as Minardi) and Super Aguri.
Renault and McLaren will continue to have strong seasons. I'm thinking BAR, Red Bull and BMW will do okay, but not spectacular.
Personally, I'll definitely be cheering for Super Aguri drivers Sato and Ide. :wave:
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Bahrain 2006
1. Alonso
2. M. Schumacher
3. Raikkonen
4. Button
5. .... meh I'm only predicting the top 4 :D
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According the qualifying session today, It seems I was so wrong :D
Raikkonen's tire fell off and he nearly screwed up the whole session. Schumacher and Ferrari seemed to be back on their level after the disastrous last season. And Honda did good job too.
It'll be an interesting race tomorrow.
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Poor Kimi, can't get much luck with his tires. :lol:
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Bahrain 2006
1. Alonso
2. M. Schumacher
3. Raikkonen
4. Button
5. .... meh I'm only predicting the top 4 :D
Results:
1. 1 ALONSO Renault M 1h29'46"205 Km/h
2. 5 M.SCHUMACHER Ferrari B + 0'01"250 205.970 Km/h
3. 3 RAIKKONEN McLaren Mercedes M + 0'19"330 205.282 Km/h
4. 12 BUTTON Honda M + 0'19"940 205.258 Km/h
Perfect prediction. 8)
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Aw man, why'd I click that? :? I haven't seen the race yet (have to wait for the replay tonite). :ksad: :kcrazy:
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Amuse, you're so much better predicting than me. But my predictions were for the whole season though :D
A good start for this season. Raikkonen was surprisingly good after disastrous pre-race practice and qualifying. Nico Rosberg did also good job being seventh in his debut after losing a front wing on the first lap. He also had the fastest lap time.
I wonder how Toyota's performance was so bad. According the winter tests and big budget, I thought this season would be a breakthrough for them. But it certainly doesn't seem so.
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I wonder how Toyota's performance was so bad. According the winter tests and big budget, I thought this season would be a breakthrough for them. But it certainly doesn't seem so.
Well, testing in a control environment and actually putting the engine through an actual race are two different things. The conditions are similar, but not the same at all. You can't really completely gage how it would do on race day by how it does in testing.
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Everything went wrong for Super Aguri today. Ide penalized before the start, fuel nozzle didn't work twice in the first round of pitstops, Ide ran into his mechanics then stalled his car, both cars tried to pit at the same time, etc etc. :(
The only positive thing was that Sato finished the race without something breaking in the car.
The race itself was pretty good. This season should be great since there are clearly 4 teams capable of fighting for the top spot.
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The next one is a week away, love weekly F1s
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Of course the winter tests don't tell everything, but usually lots of money has meant at least some success. Toyota had the biggest budget last season and I guess they aren't poor this season either.
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Just goes to show that although it helps, it's not always the biggest budget that automatically wins the race/season.
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Of course you don't win races only with big budget, but Toyota isn't a new team anymore. I think it's just reasonable to expect a slightly better performance than competing with Toro Rosso, MF1 and Super Aguri way behind the top teams.
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Malesian Grand Prix was raced at Sepang last weekend.
Renault took the double win, surprisingly Fisischella was the winner before Alonso. Raikkonen had some bad luck again, Klien crashed to his rear tire on the second lap. Wonder rookie Rosberg, who got third place in qualifying ended up braking his engine.
Not so great race as the season start in Bahrain, but not boring either. The most interesting part is the protest that all the teams except Ferrari, Red Bull (powered by Ferrari) and Toro Rosso (owned by Red Bull) raised against Ferrari's front wing, which is said to be too flexible.
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Wonder rookie Rosberg, who got third place in qualifying ended up braking his engine.
and what a spectacular way to blow up an engine :lol:
i actually stayed up to watch the 1st half of the race. the 1st race i've seen this year and i didn't even know half the teams :oops:
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Yea there's lots of new teams this season. And old teams with new sponsors and colors.
Gotta mention Sato's great driving in Sepang. Nice to see Super Aguri competing against Toro Rosso and Midland.
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New Team/Old Team
Toro Rosso/Minardi
Midland F1/Jordan
BMW/Sauber
Super Aguri/Non-Applicable
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Some recent Formula1 news to discuss:
FIA has made a decision that all engine development would be halted from 2008 to 2011.
Imo this rule is one of the most stupid rules ever. Basically it would mean that if you screw up the engine in 2008, it's 3 years until you can fix the thing.
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Australian GP
So much drama and action.. I don't even know where to start commenting :D
Some funny moments:
- Montoya spinning on the last turn while driving up to the grid
- Ross Brawn laughing at Montoya
- Yuji Ide setting the fastest lap......... on the first lap
- Button getting passed by... pretty much everyone :)
- Button's engine blowing up on the 2nd last turn
- ITV commentators yelling "PUSH JENSON. GET OUT AND PUSH!!" at the end of the race
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I was partying last night, so I kinda missed all the race before Schumacher's crash.
Button really had some bad luck... 20 metres from finish line :D
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At least Button remembered to make sure he DIDN'T finish the race. This way he can change to a new engine for the next race without getting a penalty.
Ide setting the fastest lap was hilarious. I'm actually surprised that his and Sato's cars haven't had that many technical problems, considering that they're cars that were from a museum. They were from the old Arrows team, which hasn't existed since 2002.
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Scott Speed has been handed a post-race penalty of 25 seconds for paying insufficient attention to yellow flags in Sunday’s Australian Grand Prix. That dropped the American to 11th place and thus lost him, and the Scuderia Toro Rosso team, their first world championship point.
Moving up to eighth and gaining a point as a result was Red Bull’s David Coulthard, who claimed after the race that Speed had passed him under yellow flags. The stewards also fined Speed US$5000 for use of abusive language to another competitor, thought to be Coulthard, during the post-race hearing.
I guess it was too much for Red Bull to get beaten by Toro Rosso :) They sounded pretty desperate on a team radio :)
At least Button remembered to make sure he DIDN'T finish the race. This way he can change to a new engine for the next race without getting a penalty.
Well, since it's Button, avoiding a penalty might have been a better choice.
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Qualifying for San Marino GP in a few hours! :)
Schumacher and Alonso were quick in fri's practice sessions, so if both cars are reliable then maybe the race for 1st will be just as good as last year's. Incase anyone forgot, Schumacher was all over Alonso in the final few laps of the race but couldn't manage to pass cuz the track was too tight.. and the renault had too much grip exiting tight corners.
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today match...
F1 winner is M schum...
ah, shu... alonso lost d match...
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Imola is one of the most boring circuit, overtaking is almost impossible. Pretty much like Monaco but at least there's always some nice crashes there :)
And last weekend's race was no different. Alonso clearly had faster car but he just couldn't pass Schumacher. Well, better that way, I don't like Alonso winning all the grand prix's.
Interesting to see if Ide is still driving in the next race :)
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They should really take away Ide's super license since he's clearly not in the same class as other F1 drivers. I'm pretty sure he only got a race seat because he can bring in money to the team. He has never won anything significant prior to F1 unlike most other F1 drivers. Ide spent 7 years competing in Japanese F3 then moved onto French F3 for a year. In those 8 years he didn't win a single championship so he moved to Formula Nippon for another 3 years, but he didn't win anything in Formula Nippon either. He was close last season finishing 2nd, but come on.. 11 years in professional open-wheel racing and not even a driver's championship.
Ide has a shitty history in racing while Takuma Sato dominated F3 before entering F1. Sato won 12/13 races in F3 back in 2001...he really owned everyone :D
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Well it has been common that smaller teams get their money from sponsors of drivers, and that doesn't mean that they'd be any good driving a car. I hope FIA's plans to reduce costs will help in this matter too, and all teams could hire drivers at least with some skill.
I read yesterday that Raikkonen will announce his team for next season in the Canadian Grand Prix. And if it's Ferrari, Marlboro has offered to pay Raikkonen's and Schumacher's salaries.
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^ Is the article online? Link please if it is. :)
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Well I read it from a real paper, but I found a similar piece of news here:
http://motoring.iafrica.com/formulaone/273812.htm (http://motoring.iafrica.com/formulaone/273812.htm)
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you just don't see races like this anymore :( http://youtube.com/watch?v=zdNXeD5kwRY&search=gilles%20arnoux
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Following advice received from the FIA this week, Super Aguri Honda has confirmed that Yuji Ide will be participating in the team’s testing days only with immediate effect.
Franck Montagny will therefore undertake the role of SAF1 Team second driver at the European Grand Prix this weekend.
http://f1.racing-live.com/f1/en/headlines/news/detail/060504122909.shtml
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA ;)
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Too bad for Ide. But when you look at it, he just doesn't have what it takes (at this moment) to really be taken seriously in F1.
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Kinda weird that FIA took away Ide's Formula 1 racing license, because Super Aguri had requested it. I think they Super Aguri could have switched drivers without that too. Maybe they wanna assure that Ide won't be driving in any other teams either.
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From looking at the qualifying pace, it seems like the Nurburgring race will be another Alonso vs Schumacher battle. Mclaren seems to be struggling to get up to speed right now so no Kimi up front :(
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Another boring race in Nürburgring. It would be nice to see some overtaking outside pits.
But at least Schumacher won.
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It was good pit strategy that Schumacher and Ferarri used to get the lead from Alonso. I was impressed with how Rosberg did today too, considering how far back on the grid he started. Looks like Bridgestone's problems that they had last year with underperforming have been solved too. Michelin may have been sitting on their laurels too much from last year. :lol:
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The race was good if you watch it for the strategy, but boring if you want to see overtaking. :D The aerodynamic setups of current F1 cars make it hard to overtake unless one is clearly much faster than the other. Too much turbulent air makes it tricky to get close enough to pass. Just look at the 2 BMW drivers holding up traffic in the first half of the race, and Barrichello holding up traffic near the end of the race. It seems like F1 these days is more about running the perfect strategy with a driver that can make it work (like today). Schumacher pushed like hell to get 2 insane laps before making his final pitstop, which put him 5s ahead of Alonso.
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They should really take away Ide's super license since he's clearly not in the same class as other F1 drivers.
The FIA have rescinded Yuji Ide's Super Licence, the document required to compete in Formula One, the Super Aguri Honda team has confirmed. The Japanese driver will therefore not be participating in any further events this year.
http://f1.racing-live.com/f1/en/headlines/news/detail/060510142532.shtml
HAHAHAHAHAHA I knew it! :D
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Well I don't think Ide was that bad, he was just slow, but I don't remember him to be dangerous or anythin. Takuma Sato's kamikaze driving style has been much more dangerous imo (And I like Sato's style).... Why humiliate Ide by taking his super license, if Super Aguri won't let him drive, it's not very likely that any other team would take him.
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I agree that revoking his super licence was harsh. Ide was just inexperienced. Granted it was an incredibly stupid move that he made that caused that accident, but there's no way for him to learn how to handle a real F1 car if he's not allowed to drive any of them. It's like saying that an apprentice chef isn't allowed to use any knives. Super Aguri could have made Ide a test driver. At least then he'd be able to get the experience and learn how to properly handle the car.
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...And Alonso won again in Spain today. I have to whine again about how boring race it was after all. Especially when you first saw exciting MotoGP race in Shanghai earlier in the morning.
Too bad McLaren can't keep up with Renault or Ferrari. Although Raikkonen's start was actually the best part of the Spanish Grand Prix, it doesn't help if the car isn't fast enough to win races.
It's interesting that McLaren always seems to start with more fuel than other teams (according to the fact that they're usually slower in the last qualifying period than in the previous periods), but it never has any effect in a race. Or maybe the car is just too slow for this strategy.
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It seems like everyone's reaction on all the forums I visit about the race has been "most boring race of the season". I believe Ferrari took a gamble with their setup (less downforce) so they were a lot faster on the straight and throughout sector 1, but they weren't up to speed in sectors 2 and 3. McLaren has been disappointing even with Kimi pushing hard :(. Montoya seems like he lost interest in F1 this season and just isn't trying anymore cuz he makes careless mistakes then blames it on the car. And I've noticed he's starting to slip down the field race after race, probably cuz he knows he doesn't have a raceseat at McLaren after this season. Alonso will take a spot and Ron Dennis may have found a better driver than Montoya since Kimi is almost certain to leave.
Monaco should be another boring no-passing race again. But it's Monaco! :D I don't care how boring it will be... I'm still going to watch every second of it!
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Rumoured new Super Aguri driver
''I am interested in Sakon Yamamoto,'' Suzuki, referring to the 23-year-old Formula Nippon driver, told Motorsport Aktuell magazine.
Yamamoto, originally linked with the Leafield-based debutants over the winter, credibly drove a third test car for Jordan at Suzuka last October.
In the definitive practice session, he clocked a quicker time than yellow-clad regulars Narain Karthikeyan and Tiago Monteiro.
http://f1.racing-live.com/f1/en/headlines/news/detail/060516150303.shtml
I don't think he'll do any better than Yuji Ide. His history in open-wheel racing is even worse than Ide's.
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I like the idea bringing more japanese drivers to Formula 1. Ide was just extraordinary bad. I hope the new guy is better :)
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Montoya seems like he lost interest in F1 this season and just isn't trying anymore cuz he makes careless mistakes then blames it on the car. And I've noticed he's starting to slip down the field race after race, probably cuz he knows he doesn't have a raceseat at McLaren after this season.
I've never liked Montoya. His driving style is too unrefined, IMO. The guy is a speed freak, but not in a good way the way other drivers are. With Montoya it's to the point where he's so obessessed with driving his speedometer as far as he can that causes himself to lose control of the car (which he then, as you said, he blames for his shortcomings). Shumacher, Alonso, and Raikkonen definitely have more finesse and are more "skilled" driver's than Montoya. Hell, I'll even go so far as to say that Coulthard could beat Montoya, if they both drove the same car. His ego and his pride also prevent him from acknowledging that he still needs to learn a few things, which prevents him from improving his skills, which prevents him from being a top-tier driver.
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Montoya and Coulthard have pretty much similar careers. Both started as promising drivers at Williams, and then switched to better McLaren. But soon became owned by McLaren's other driver race after race.
And now they're bitter men who are blaming car and the team for ruining they're races and careers.
I read that Ferrari is going to announce their drivers for season 1007 in September.
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Well, Montoya whines and complains. Coulthard is more of a professional. I believe that he also had more success (in terms of race wins) when he was with Williams than Montoya did. He knows that with RBR, he's not going to enjoy the same level of success that he had at Williams or that Alonso/Schumi/Kimi are enjoying right now. Still, despite that, he's still one of the hardest working drivers out there. He does his best with what he's got. Montoya has it in his head that outright speed is what wins races, so his skills in terms of passing and being an agile driver are not up to the level that the big three drivers have. Montoya races with this mentality, and that is what causes him to lose control of his car so often. The problem isn't his car, it's the fact that he isn't able to control it as well as he should be.
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Qualifying for Monaco is over and well ............... more Schumacher controversy. I believe his accident was intentional but was a last minute move. If you watch the behaviour of the car, it looked like he was going to make it through the turn but decided to lock up very gently and get stuck. It would've been more real if he crashed the car and lost a wing or wheel. You can see from his steering inputs that he made no effort to get the car to turn, so there's no excuse for his cheating tactic. I still think he's one of the greatest drivers ever but he's been caught cheating a few times already...
And Fisichella got bumped back from the grid for blocking...... what an idiot.
As for the race, I think Alonso will win it. Schumacher will get passed either by turn 1 or from pitstops because Ferrari isn't that strong this weekend, and I'm not sure if the Bridgestones can last long enough to keep a fast race pace.
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I'm not a fan of Monaco, at least, not of the race itself. It's cool in that the track is one of the few remaining (if not, the only remaining) F1 races run on the actual streets of a city, instead of on a dedicated race track. That being said, the course is WAY narrow (for a race course), it's a slow course (relatively speaking), and there are so many turns that passing is virtually impossible. I'll still watch the race, if I can. I love watching the cars drive by all the scenery in Monaco. My favourite part of the race is the long right-hand turn in the tunnel. Actually, if I remember correctly, at last year's race there Montoya and Shumacher both had accidents/incidents in or near the tunnel, didn't they?
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Because of the incident in qualifying session Schumacher will start to the race behind the grid. So I guess Alonso will take the pole then.
For me it's hard to believe he did it on purpose. Ok, It's Ferrari and Schumacher has done some dirty tricks before, but still... That was so obvious. He should have crashed the car to the wall at least or something :D
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There are some videos of the incident to watch over and over again :)
On-board cam of the incident: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VO4k7DMG3fg
SPEED slow motion replay with commentary: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kb0tyPCGWKY
Both Ferraris are starting at the back now so they'll be lucky to get a few points in the race.
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Both Ferraris are starting at the back now so they'll be lucky to get a few points in the race.
Meh, the both Shumacher and Massa have been around the block long enough that they should be able to get past the slower cars and make a decent showing. And considering how the course at Monaco is, I wouldn't be surprised if the cars higher up on the grid are involved in a few accidents (especially if they involve Montoya). :D
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Surprisigly Alonso won again.
Raikkonen did a nice job overtaking Webber but lost his chance to win because of safety car... But of course it's kinda hard to win if the car is in flames :P
Montoya and Coulthard did good job being second and third.
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Damn, overslept and missed it. Oh well. There's always replays later tonight (I hope).
For now, going to have to make due with the Indy 500, which is probably the only IRL race I choose to watch.
EDIT: INDY 500 Unofficial Results (Top 3)
1st - Sam Hornish Jr. (http://www.indycar.com/drivers/driver.php?driver_id=23)
2nd - Marco Andretti (http://www.indycar.com/drivers/driver.php?driver_id=292) (Rookie)
3rd - Michael Andretti (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Andretti)
Congrats to Hornish, who has never before been able to complete all 500 laps at Indy, much less place. He has now, and he WON the race doing it, seizing the lead (and the win) from rookie phenom Marco Andretti on the very LAST lap of the race!
A VERY VERY impressive showing by young Marco, possibly even more impressive than the show put on by Danica Patrick at last year's race. For someone so young (19 years old) to come so close to winning the biggest race in North America...you know he's going make a LOT of noise on the racing circuit in the upcoming years.
Well, he came out of retirement to give it ONE more try, and yet the win STILL evades Michael Andretti. At least he got a chance to race with son Marco. Their 2nd and 3rd place finishes definitely cements the Andretti name as one of, if not THE greatest racing family in the world.
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Alonso seems to have all the luck in the world these days whereas Kimi has no luck at all :(. Great drives by Trulli, Webber, Kimi, DC, and Schumacher. I'm not really a Webber fan but I wanted him to win the race. He had a really quick race pace and should've been able to challenge for the win in the final stages. It's too bad his car broke down :(.
There must've been some miscommunication with the flag marshalls because they forgot to blue flag Fisichella for holding up Webber for 3 laps. Webber was going nuts on team radio because of it, then when his engine blew up he looked like he was ready to punch somebody out :D. Best moment of the race has to be Kimi going to his yacht to relax and have a few drinks instead of reporting back to the McLaren garage. I guess that could be a sign he's given up on the team and will be heading elsewhere next season.
Does anyone know what position Sato was in at the time he retired and whether he was infront of Button? ITV commentary didn't really cover it but I read a comment on another forum that Sato was higher up than Button before he DNFed. Button had a horriblie race anyways, he was in the back trying to fight off a Midland ..... lol
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Super Aguri Honda today confirmed Sakon Yamamoto as their third driver for British, Canadian and US Grand Prix.
“I am very happy to be coming back into Formula One with Super Aguri F1 Team and I would like to thank everyone who has supported me," Yamamoto stated. "I will try to do my best in my new role as SAF1 Team third driver and give the team good feedback from my time in the car.”
Sakon Yamamoto has raced in Super GT and All Japan Formula Nippon Championship in Japan. Super Aguri Honda was keen to thank Nissan and Kondo Racing for releasing Yamamoto to be their third driver.
http://f1.racing-live.com/f1/en/headlines/news/detail/060608165908.shtml
So it's official now ...
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Notihing new happened in Silverstone last weekend.
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Ya the 2006 season is pretty much over already. Alonso is going to win the driver's title. I used to be an Alonso fan before he started winning, but lately he seems too cocky about being #1 so I just want to see someone else win a race and beat him fairly on the track.
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Yeah i agree with amuse, alonso is too cocky right.
But he really have a perfect skill in driving in F1. So i think he will be number one again this year
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Man, I totally didn't realize that the Cdn Grand Prix ws on today! :shock:
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At last Raikkonen and McLaren had a chance to beat Alonso but they so screwed up :( And then Raikkonen let Schumacher pass on the last lap by making a stupid mistake again.
But it was an interesting race though.
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Any time I get to see Montoya screw up and take himself out of the race makes it a good race for me! :)
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It was about time for Alonso not being on the podium :D I don't remember the last time I was so happy about Schumacher and Ferrari dominance. One more race like this and we get an interesting end-season :)
JFC probably liked it when Montoya crashed Raikkonen's tail :) Not very good race for McLaren.
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After the crash at turn 1, Ron Dennis (McLaren boss) looked like he wanted to punch somebody out :D
It was nice to see Alonso struggle for once but he was lucky so many cars retired, or else he wouldn't have scored any points.
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It was about time for Alonso not being on the podium :D I don't remember the last time I was so happy about Schumacher and Ferrari dominance. One more race like this and we get an interesting end-season :)
JFC probably liked it when Montoya crashed Raikkonen's tail :) Not very good race for McLaren.
I liked it that Montoya crashed, but hated it that it was Kimi that he crashed into. :( This is yet just another example of how Montoya, while skilled, is also reckless.
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just saw this in another forum. lucky guy i don't who that is driving the nsx but wow
http://honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=1652172&page=1
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The muthafucka met/saw BUTTON!!! :shocked: Lucky bastage.
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So he met the most overrated F1 driver ever? :D
(I'm just joking.... :P)
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So he met the most overrated F1 driver ever? :D
(I'm just joking.... :P)
Of course you're joking. Everyone knows the most overrated F1 driver ever is Montoya. :lol:
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probably old news but WTF
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/racing/07/09/montoya.nascar.ap/index.html
one thing i don't like about NASCAR is that it's so white, hopefully this will help.
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Considering Montoya's lack of performance...correction, his POOR performance with McLaren, I'm betting his F1 ride was probably at risk.
At least in NASCAR, unless he tries to actually ram someone, his driving style (characterized by the fact that he has a tendency to make contact with other drivers) will not be as risky/dangerous as it is in open-wheel racing.
But dammit, now I won't be able to make fun of/insult his driving in F1 anymore. :evil:
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Good decision from Montoya. Nascar is a new challenge, and now he doesn't end up driving F1 in small teams competing for a couple of points in a season like Villeneuve did after his years in Williams.
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http://home.skysports.com/list.asp?hlid=402236&CPID=583&clid=&lid=4161&title=McLaren+replace+Montoya
McLaren responds by kicking Montoya off the team, hahaha.
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Yay for Pedro de la Rosa driving again :)
If Raikkonen goes to Ferrari, I hope Lewis Hamilton gets his chance with McLaren.
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http://home.skysports.com/list.asp?hlid=402236&CPID=583&clid=&lid=4161&title=McLaren+replace+Montoya
McLaren responds by kicking Montoya off the team, hahaha.
:damnfunny :damnfunny :damnfunny
(http://img118.imageshack.us/img118/2816/konkon090qi.jpg)
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Konno speaks the truth :D
BMW introduced new wings, nicknamed "twin towers":
(http://img230.imageshack.us/img230/1074/3837154ol.jpg)
I don't know if they work, but I guess FIA bans them pretty soon, just like they did to the extra wings on sides before. F1 cars shouldn't look like clowns :)
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Well, two seasons ago when they were partnered with Williams they tried that double-keel design on the front of their cars and that proved to be a failure. I say this new one will last to the end of the season at the most. I wouldn't be surprised, though, if Villeneuve complains about it obstructing his vision (which, could be a valid point).
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Listen carefully to Montoya's team radio
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_yFEPmTrtg
...look who's the idiot now :D
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Listen carefully to Montoya's team radio
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_yFEPmTrtg
...look who's the idiot now :D
:D:D:D
Another win for Schumacher last weekend \o/
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I'm hoping Schumacher wins a few more to make the driver's championship a little closer. Alonso is just so damn lucky and doesn't deserve some of the points he's getting. Last race Kimi was catching up and had a chance at passing Alonso for 2nd, and Massa couldn't drive fast enough when he needed to which let Alonso finish 2nd. Alonso could've been 3rd or even 4th if he wasn't so lucky all the time >_<
Honda looks to be in a mess now. It's like they went backwards with their development.
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This season is just like the last year, only Raikkonen's and Schumacher's roles reversed. Alonso gets monstrous lead in points and end-season is about if Schumacher could catch him.
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I think renault has a good package, currently their reliability has been too good to be true. I wonder how alonso will fare when he goes to Mclaren, which I think hasn't been good in terms of performance of the car for last two season. Maybe alonso's luck will win him some more trophy?
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I guess it's the salary why Alonso is going to drive McLaren. Renault is not famous for paying huge salaries to its drivers. Anyway, Alonso is already a world champion and probably gets another one in the end of the season. McLaren could be very competitive next season.
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For the sake of excitement I really hope that Alonso will run into some sort of problems next race so that Schumacher can close the gap quickly. Of course the best deserves to win but it's not much fun to watch if it's always the same...
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For the sake of excitement I really hope that Alonso will run into some sort of problems next race so that Schumacher can close the gap quickly. Of course the best deserves to win but it's not much fun to watch if it's always the same...
Considering Ferrari's current shape it's not impossible. After USA's GP I thought they were gonna fall back again. Of course I hoped they would stay up there, but with Michelin playing the secure way in USA I thought they were gonna fall behind again when coming to France.
But no! I don't know from where they found the speed (probably Bridgestone) but they seem faster than Renault right now! :) The circuits left on the calender also suits Ferrari well, if you look at it historically (like Suzuka, Monza etc). If Massa can get the 2nd place from Alonso (not like in France...) and Bridgestone keep and improve their current performance, it's gonna be a very exciting finish of this season!! Go Schumi! :D
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But it's still gonne be tough for Ferrari tho - Even if Schumacher wins every race it's still enough for Alonso to come in second and he'll be champ.
I'd prefer to have them head to head as soon as possible. But the Renault cars are so damn reliable - I don't think the same thing can be said about Ferrari... :(
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The local "Edmonton Grand Prix" was won by Justin Wilson!
http://www.autonet.ca/Motorsports/Champ/2006/07/23/1698909-cp.html
The 27-year-old English racer won the Edmonton Grand Prix Sunday after posting four runner-up finishes this season. He started from the second row but managed to pass Paul Tracy of Toronto and pole-sitter Sebastien Bourdais for his third career win.
He beat Tracy out of pit row at the first fuel stop and managed to take the inside on a corner to pass front-runner Bourdais with 31 laps to go.
"The car was awesome all day," he said. "I was able to burn fast and close down the gap and Sebastien made a mistake and I managed to get by."
Bourdais, struggling to regain the lead, brushed tires with Alex Tagliani of Lachenaie, Que., on a corner, sending Tagliani into the tire barrier.
"We had to accept defeat," said Bourdais, 27. "I'd still like to see what would have happened if Alex hadn't run into me. I don't know what he did but it was really a shame."
Wilson beat Bourdais, the series' overall points leader, by more than five seconds.
American driver A.J. Allmendinger, who had won the last three events, finished third. Oriol Servia was fourth and Tracy, who started beside Bourdais in the front row, was fifth.
Allmendinger, 24, struggled in qualifying to start fourth.
He said he'll still take third. "I'm pleased to be on the podium again. Four races, four podiums."
Tracy said the pit stop loss to Wilson was costly.
"We didn't have a good day. We made a major mistake on tire pressure on the second stint and got beat out of the pits."
Andrew Ranger of Roxton Pond, Que., finished seventh and Tagliani ended up 12th in the 18-car field.
Listen carefully to Montoya's team radio
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_yFEPmTrtg
...look who's the idiot now :D
It's JPM Radio ROFL!
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I'd prefer to have them head to head as soon as possible. But the Renault cars are so damn reliable - I don't think the same thing can be said about Ferrari...
Actually Ferrari is more reliable than Renault. So far Renault have had one retirement because of technical failure, Ferrari have had none.
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Oh, is that so? My bad, I should follow it more closely. :doh:
But if we look at last season as well, Alonso didn't have a failure for ... quite some time. In my opinion it seems more likely that he makes a mistake than that his car breaks down... (or I'm wrong again)
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Interesting qualifying results in Hockenheim. Raikkonen took his first pole for 15 grand prix. And more important, Alonso was only 7th. A great opportunity for Schumacher. The worst scenario would be Raikkonen and Schumacher knocking themselves out, and Alonso getting the points again.
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Hmm... Kinda quiet here, eventhough the fight for the championship is more tighter than ever in recent year.
Schumacher won in Hockenheim and had a great chance to tighten the gap because of Alonso's +2s penalty. But apparently screwed it, because there was a same kind of penalty on Schumacher as well.
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well...there's no change that these two (shumi and alonso) going to win this weekend race
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i'm watchin F1 always on tv, and i'm very interested in it! i've never been to one race, cuz it's too far away >_< but i think it's a great feeling to be there.
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well...there's no change that these two (shumi and alonso) going to win this weekend race
Well... That's hard to believe since Schumacher was 11th and Alonso 15th in a qualifying session today. And it's especially difficult to overtake at Hungaroring.
Schumacher will probably get some points from this race, but if Renault have same kind of problems as they had in Germany, Alonso might be in trouble. Maybe they did lose their speed because of questionable suspension, which they disabled for the Germany Grand Prix to avoid possibble disqualification. Although Alonso did a good time in qualifying before they added the 2 seconds penalty...
Raikkonen got the pole and now he has the best chance for winning a race this season. I hope he can make it. Fisischella and others won't be a problem, so it's probably Raikkonen vs. Massa.
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Rally car racing was fun to watch earlier today when it was on the Extreme Sports chanel.
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Man, I haven't watched a race since...damn...I think it was this season's Monaco. :o
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omg it was one of the best GPs ever!
All the pre-race commentators were just telling how difficult it'd be to overtake and how boring the race would be... WRONG! Excitement till the end!
Too bad Schumacher had to retire... 3 points gap to the next race would haved saved the season.
And congrats to Button for the first win. Maybe he's not so useless afterall :)
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Shit Schumi didn't finish? :(
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Shit Schumi didn't finish? :(
Heidfeld broke something in Schumi's car while overtaking him and he had to retire 3 laps before the finish line.
After Kubica's disqualification he was 8th, so Schumi's 10 points behind Alonso now.
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Maybe F1 CAN be exciting to watch :D
So many things happened in throughout the whole race weekend, it has to be one of the most memorable races of recent time. The last memorable race I can remember was Suzuka 2005 where Alonso made the famous 130R pass on Schumacher and Kimi's ridiculous drive to win the race.
It's nice to see Button finally win something, now we'll have to see if he'll ever win a driver's championship title in his career :P. Kubica and De La Rosa were impressive but because of Kubica, Jacques Villeneuve is now out of F1 and may never return as a driver anymore. I doubt any team will want him considering his age since every team wants to recruit new young drivers with potential. Maybe he should go to NASCAR with Montoya :D
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racing fan? I do since I race also! :D
in my free time especially when I'm at Sakura_Momusu's place, I always take a look at the F1 race...
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but because of Kubica, Jacques Villeneuve is now out of F1 and may never return as a driver anymore. I doubt any team will want him considering his age since every team wants to recruit new young drivers with potential. Maybe he should go to NASCAR with Montoya
I don't know if it's really Kubica's fault, but I understand the smaller teams... Why to pay a big salary to a former world champion, when you get the same results by hiring rookie who brings money for the team.
Mark Webber is going to Red Bull for the 2007 season. And if Raikkonen goes to Ferrari, it leaves one seat open in McLaren. I hope Lewis Hamilton gets his chance. Eventhough De la Rosa has driven well.
racing fan? I do since I race also!
What are you racing?
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Mark Webber is going to Red Bull for the 2007 season. And if Raikkonen goes to Ferrari, it leaves one seat open in McLaren.
It's pretty much guaranteed that Raikkonen is going to Ferrari next season. After all, Maasa was only signed to a one-year deal. But If Webber's going to Red Bull, who's leaving? Coulthard?
Man I need to get caught up.
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Coulthard is staying because Red Bull is dumping Klien. They like to keep DC for his leadership and his ability to help the team develop. Raikkonen is most likely going to Ferrari with the 2nd seat at McLaren open for De La Rosa or Hamilton (the young GP2 guy). Renault's 2nd seat will most likely be for Heikki Kovalainen who I'm sure will be really successful in F1. The current F1 generation is a battle between Raikkonen and Alonso, but the future generation is going to be Rosberg vs. Kovalainen :P... and maybe include Hamilton and Kubica if they can drive fast enough.
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What's going to happen to Torro Rosso and their V10 engines?? I heard that they're going to drop the V10 and go for the V8. Man, I'm going to miss those highrevving V10s of Scot Speed in his Torro Rosso. If it were up to me, I'd leave Torro Rosso with the V10s so that Red Bull can do comparisons between V8s and V10s in terms of grip and tyre wear (Red Bull = Torro Rosso).
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What's going to happen to Torro Rosso and their V10 engines?? I heard that they're going to drop the V10 and go for the V8. Man, I'm going to miss those highrevving V10s of Scot Speed in his Torro Rosso. If it were up to me, I'd leave Torro Rosso with the V10s so that Red Bull can do comparisons between V8s and V10s in terms of grip and tyre wear (Red Bull = Torro Rosso).
Well Toro Rosso got theit limited rpm V10 only because Minardi was too poor to develop or buy a whole new engine. Then Red Bull bought Minardi and many teams criticized their use of V10 engines since it wasn't about not having enough money anymore.
The next season they're using V8 just like all the other teams. I think there's no point doing any comparisons between V10 and V8 because V10 is banned anyway. Unless they do it just for fun or something :D
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Ah so it's Klien that's being dropped. Shame, he's got some potential. Thanks amuse.
It's good that Torro Rosso will be using the V8s next season. Even with the rev-limiters on the V10s, and even though it was only because the team couldn't afford to buy/build new engines at the time, it's all for the better that everyone have that same engine. Now it makes me wonder though if Speed and Liuzzi will have to take paycuts so the team can afford the engines.
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this guy is awesome!!
http://www.ddavid.com/formula1/nuvo_bio.htm
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actually, just becoz u gat the biggest engine doesn't mean u're guaranteed a win. among the top runners, mcclaren, ferarri n renault, ferarri has the biggest hp followed by mcclaren but the winners are still renault. F1 is all about balance, not just power. but its true about giving a fair edge in the game. Scott Speed rules!
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Scott Speed rules!
No he doesn't :P
The only reason he's in F1 driving for a Red Bull team is for pure PR and marketing the young american driver image. He's in F1 because he's American, not really for some god-gifted talent. He's quite cocky if you ever get to listen to his team radio.
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Indeed. While he does have some skill, Speed is far from being polished and experienced enough to really make much of an impact on F1. Especially with the fiasco that happened at the 2005 U.S. Grand Prix, F1 needs as much good publicity in the States as it can get. That's why Speed was brought up and given an F1 ride.
Most good drivers will spend a year or two being a team's test driver (like De La Rossa or Maasa), where they develop their skills. If they don't do that, then they're good enough to be given a ride and they make an immediate impact (like Alonso and Raikkonen did) as soon as they debut in their first season or two. Speed never spent any time as a test driver, and he certainly hasn't made much of a significant impact (other than when he causes the occasional accident due to his inexperience) so far this season.
The last time there was an American driver in F1 was about 15 years ago with Michael Andretti (who drove for McLaren). He never really fared that well in F1, which is why after a few years there he left and went back State-side and drove IndyCars.
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Speaking of Andrettis, Mario Andretti lately stated that he wants his grandson Marco Andretti to drive in F1 someday.
I wouldn't judge Scott Speed so soon. It's his first season in F1 and he still has time... I think the best thing in being a test driver a year or two is learning the role to develop the car with the team.
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i think scott speed needs a bit more practice to compete well in f1, but at least he's not as bad as ide. i'm a mark webber fan and i am happy that he's leaving williams, i mean hes only finnished 4 times this year and as one of his followers it is dissapointing to see so many technical failures when he's been in a solid position
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FIA has banned Renault's mass dampers. It was stated somwehere that the absence of mass dampers would cause a 0,3-0,5 second drop to Renault's lap times. However no team used them in Germany or Hungary, and looking Renault's performance in Hungaroring, it's hard to believe there would be so much difference.
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wah!...cool...know lots bout the racer...i'm so so far from them...
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the qualifying for the turkish gp goes as follows
Turkish Grand Prix starting grid
1. MASSA Ferrari
2. M.SCHUMACHER Ferrari
3. ALONSO Renault
4. FISICHELLA Renault
5. HEIDFELD BMW
6. BUTTON Honda
7. RAIKKONEN McLaren
8. KUBICA BMW
9. WEBBER Williams
10. KLIEN Red Bull
11. DE LA ROSA McLaren
12. TRULLI Toyota
13. BARRICHELLO Honda
14. ROSBERG Williams
15. R.SCHUMACHER Toyota*
16. COULTHARD Red Bull
17. SPEED Toro Rosso
18. LIUZZI Toro Rosso
19. MONTEIRO Midland
20. YAMAMOTO Super Aguri
21. SATO Super Aguri
22. ALBERS Midland*
* engine change, so a 10 position penalty
Massa has scored his first ever pole, schumacher was a bit faster but messed up in the 3rd sector. Its the 4th time this year ferrari have locked out the first row of the grid! Alonso in 3rd will want a great start to past schumacher. i dont think the race will be a great one but the first ten laps should be good with hopefully a good battle between alonso and schumacher
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Schumacher's car is going to be heavy at the start tomorrow since he's definitely running more fuel than Alonso, so I have a feeling Alonso might take the lead after turn one but once the first round of pitstops are over Schumacher will lead and win the race.
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i think schu will take control as well, i think in a ferrari that works well he is probably impossible to beat, unless Senna was still alive!
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Any car that works well enough is impossible to beat :)
But Ferrari screwed up today. Letting Massa to go to the pits before Schumacher. Where was the old tactic genius and "all-fo-schumi" Ferrari? I was expecting Schumacher ramming to Alonso on the last laps, but they were all nice this time.
Well at least Massa won, good for him.
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Indeed, Massa's win should improve his chances of landing a ride next season.
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Yeah i think he will get picked up by some team next year, he a pretty good driver. if schu got pat alonso i think they would have made Massa let him past, which would have sucked, but it was a great win. i'm kinda happy too that Webber finnaly finnished another race eventhough he didnt get points, i think that was only the 5th race he's finnished this year
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Ferrari made some tactical errors but Schumacher made too many mistakes in the race. He could've finished 2nd and maybe even 1st, but according to the post-race interview he said his rears were blistering? He went wide in that quadruple apex turn 8 which made him lose at least 4s. He could've closed the championship gap but the 3rd place finish was mostly his own fault.
Ferrari is still claiming they'll announce the 2007 driver line-up at Monza (next race), and I'm starting to think Schumacher's career will finally decide to retire. Raikkonen will move to Ferrari because there's no way he'll stay in McLaren or move to Renault. Maybe he'll hang out with Flavio Briatore and have a big orgy together during a race weekend ;) .. but they won't be on the same team.
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Can't blame Schumi. Pushed too hard and the tyres gave out. But too bad for Raikonnen. Got his tyres punctured,then ran wide at turn 8. That must have been his worst race ever this year.
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I sometime get a feeling Schumi is a little too careful when he is behind Alonso. Like in San Marino last year and now Bahrain (even considering the circuits are very different). He should have started those attacks that he did in the last corners on the last lap earlier.
And personally I think Schumi will continue one year. Despite what happend in Bahrain, Ferrari has a much better shape right now than they had earlier this season (just like I thought actually check page 18 XD) and it feels like Schumi has become motivated again. The question then is what will happen with Raikönnen... :S Maybe the dreamteam (Schumi-Kimi) that Phillip Morris want? :D Gah... maybe not that likely XD
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I think Raikkonen is going to Ferrari no matter what. If Schumacher continues driving, it's probably only one season... well maybe two. Ferrari still needs a replacement for Schumi and it's best to get Raikkonen now when his contract with McLaren expires.
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I'd say Schumi would stay for one more season. Ferarri are still strong. Just that Renault seems to have the perfect balance amongst all the other teams. But i'm still interested in BAR. They are a strong team, but don't seem to get the finish they deserve. Barichello(don't know if i spelled his name right) was doing great in the earlier stages, but seems like his going downhill....
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i dont think barrichello is going downhill, he wasnt too bad at turkey, i think this is the best bar team for a while (barrichello and button) and while the cars arent as good as renault or ferrari they are still really quick. the FIA have just published next years race lineup with the nurburgring and imola GP's being dropped. The japanese grand prix is moving from Suzuka to Fuji, and the australia grand prix opens the season again.
you can view the list here
http://www.itv-f1.com/News_Article.aspx?PO_ID=37159
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Well Imola and Nürburgring are two top circuits in boring races, so I won't miss them. It's still kinda sad for legendary Imola, after Senna's and Ratzenberger's deaths in 1994 they overdid the safety changes and made the circuit super boring.
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I probably said this before but I'll say it again...
Suzuka > Fuji Speedway.
Damn Toyota and their money. Suzuka is a pure driver's track just like Spa :(
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I've never seen anything driven on Fuji. So I'm kinda looking forward the Japanese GP next year...
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i think this is the best bar team for a while (barrichello and button)
2004 (Button and Sato) was obviously the best season ever for BAR. They finished second in the constructor's championship (http://www.formula1.com/archive/team/2004.html) that year. Button was 3rd and Sato was 8th in the driver's championships. (http://www.formula1.com/archive/driver/2004.html) Both drivers scored multiple podium finishes that year.
As far as moving the Japanese GP to Fuji...let's just hope that the feedback/backlash from the drivers (assuming they don't like it) and the fans is enough to get them to move it back to Suzuka.
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Incase anyone doesn't know about it, you can test drive Fuji Speedway's F1 circuit layout in GT4. I think it's called "Fuji Speedway GP" in the game. It'll give you an idea of what the track is like. Personally I don't like it much and would prefer Suzuka, but I'm a huge Suzuka fan so I'm a little biased :D. It's my all-time fav track .. it's just so fun and challenging.
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I've driven Fuji Speedway in MotoGP2. But MotoGP and games are so different compared to real Formula 1... I don't think there's a game which could simulate boredom and the lack of overtaking of the certain F1 circuits correctly.
As long as there's lots of overtaking and happening in Fuji, I don't miss Suzuka.
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here's an interesting article i have just read about the racing calendar next year, a few things might change....
Question marks over 2007 calendar
Thursday, 31, August, 2006, 12:02
The 2007 Formula 1 calendar issued by the FIA on Tuesday should not be taken as gospel, according to ITV-F1.com sources.
Several aspects of the schedule caused surprise, including the omission of the San Marino Grand Prix, the month-long gap between rounds three and four and the lack of any reference to a second Japanese race.
Another oddity was the fact that no venues were listed, only the host countries, leading to confusion over which circuit will host the German GP.
Imola authorities remain adamant they have been promised a date on the calendar by F1’s commercial tsar Bernie Ecclestone provided they complete a 10 million euro upgrade on schedule.
In previous cases where similar conditions have applied, races have been provisionally included on the calendar with caveats like “subject to circuit approval” or “subject to contract”.
The departure from this protocol suggests that Ecclestone is turning up the pressure on the Imola authorities to deliver their promised revamp, which includes a revised layout and a new, larger paddock area.
The four-week gap between the Bahrain and Spanish GPs leaves plenty of scope to accommodate Italy’s traditional second race, most likely on April 29.
More puzzling from a logistical point of view is the scheduling of the first three flyaway races: Australia on March 18, Malaysia on April 8 and Bahrain on April 15.
Melbourne’s return to the season-opening slot had already been confirmed, but the three-week break before Malaysia makes little sense because, as it stands, teams will either be stranded a long way from base or else will have to make an extra long-haul flight.
Unless, of course, the mooted second Japanese race at Suzuka – likely to be held under the ‘Pacific GP’ banner – were to be slotted into the gap…
That scenario may well be part of the gameplan as it stands to be lucrative for Ecclestone’s Formula One Management company.
Japanese sources inform us that Honda, which owns Suzuka, is willing to pay a high price to guarantee the circuit’s continued place on the calendar after the indignity of losing the country’s grand prix to Toyota-owned Fuji.
From the teams’ point of view that may not be such an elegant solution, as it would mean they were on the road for over five weeks – but it would plug the illogical gap that currently exists between Australia and Malaysia.
Alternatively, there are suggestions that the Melbourne season-opener could be moved forward to an early March date and twinned with Suzuka, allowing for a long enough break before Malaysia for teams to return to Europe.
A switch might be welcomed by Australian GP organisers as the race is currently set to clash with the World Swimming Championships, although they remain confident of the usual sell-out crowd in any event.
One possible snag is that the German teams may object to Japan being given a second race at the same time that they have lost theirs (the European Grand Prix).
But that situation came about largely due to the financial problems faced by promoters at both the Nurburgring and Hockenheim, which prompted the two tracks to agree to share the German GP in future.
Tuesday’s calendar did not specify which venue will stage the 2007 race, but it is expected to be the Nurburgring.
http://www.itv-f1.com/News_Article.aspx?PO_ID=37168
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Renault has announced its drivers for season 2007. Heikki Kovalainen and Fisichella. Great news, Kovalainen is one of the most promising young drivers and it'll be interesting to see him driving a top car right away.
And it's even more guarenteed now that Raikkonen would drive a ferrari next season.
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And more rumours of Schumacher's retirement
http://www.pitpass.com/fes_php/pitpass_news_item.php?fes_art_id=29194
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And more rumours of Schumacher's retirement
http://www.pitpass.com/fes_php/pitpa...s_art_id=29194
lol Bild has the best sources ever: Schumacher is retiring because of Mark Webber saw him drinking beer :D
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lol Bild has the best sources ever: Schumacher is retiring because of Mark Webber saw him drinking beer :D
I laughed at that clue too :D. I think he will retire since he's been really desperate to win the championship this season, which means he wants to retire as a champion
I want to see Kovalainen race in F1 ... he definitely has the potential to be a world champion. Just hope he doesn't have the same luck as Raikkonen ;)
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i hope kovalainen is as good as he is hyped up to be, finn drivers are usually pretty good. i think schumacher will retire as well, i dont mind if he does, im not a fan of him.
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Monza qualifying is over. Some small problems for Alonso made him qualify 5th, but he's now penalised for blocking Massa and will now start 10th instead. I think this is complete bullshit. Alonso was far enough ahead and did not affect Massa's lap at all, in fact Massa probably gained maybe 0.05-0.1s by driving behind Alonso on those long fast straights. He screwed up sector 3 himself and is blaming Alonso for it.
http://f1.racing-live.com/f1/en/headlines/news/detail/060909192852.shtml
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Well I didn't see any blocking on tv... It's kinda stupid if driving ahead is now blocking, but If the judges saw there was blocking, there's nothing you could do then. At least it's easier to Schumacher to widen the gap :)
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Official: Schumacher retires from F1 and will be replaced by Kimi Raikkonen who signed a 3-year deal with the team. Massa's contract is extended to 2008 so he's safe for now :)
I wonder if Jean Todt and Ross Brawn will stay with the Schumacher-less Ferrari team? If they decide to leave then Ferrari will be screwed for next season.
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Well, at least Schumi was able to do it on his own terms (i.e. he wasn't released from the team and left in obscurity). The new guy for BMW-Sauber, Kubica, had a pretty good race today at Monza. It's only his third race for them, and he had a great qualifying run, an AWESOME start, and even lead the race! Good for him. :thumbsup
EDIT: Gotta say THIS caught me by surprise:
From Midland F1 Racing's Official Site - The Midland Group of Companies wishes to announce the sale of 100% of its shares in Midland F1 Limited to Spyker Cars NV ("Spyker"). (http://www.midlandf1.com/main.php?sec=news.current.1)
Another article - http://www.itv-f1.com/News_Article.aspx?PO_ID=37294
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Schumacher's and Ferrari's announcements really left the actual GP to its shadow.
At last Renault's engine blew up. And now we have the interesting end-season I've wished for. The gap is only 2 points and there's 3 races left. Another good thing is that now Alonso can't say that Italian judges decided the championship, if he'll lose to Schumacher.
Until now I've cheered for Schumacher because I wanted the fight for championship to last till the final Grand Prix. Now when it's almost even, for some reason I still wanna Schumacher to win. It would be the best way for him to end his great career. Alonso still has time to win the second championship in the future.
I certainly hope that Jeadn Todt and Ross Brawn will continue working for Ferrari and Raikkonen. However, if they leave, I don't think it'd be disastrous or anything. Ferrari sure has other capable staff members as well.
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Yeah, it'd be awesome if Michael could end off his career with another driver's championship. He's definitely been one of the hardest working drivers in F1 history. He's never let his head get too big, he's always worked hard and always given his best effort regardless of the circumstances.
Todt's expression after Michael crossed the line was puzzling to me. Makes me wonder what kind of backstage drama is going on with Ferrari. Seems like he doesn't want to leave.
Props to Kubica for landing a podium spot in only his 3rd race for BMW-Sauber. :thumbsup
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Kubica has been really impressive so far. It makes Jacques Villeneuve look like an even bigger idiot for the negative comments he made about Kubica :P
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FIA announced that the new CDG rear wing won't be used in 2008. The bigger changes to cars' aerodynamics are postponed to 2009, but GDC wing might not be included. They're making changes to chassis instead.
Well I'm not disappointed if they're making at least something to change races less boring.
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Corvette looks to dominate this season in Le Mans GT group, but Aston Martin teams will give them a serious run for the money... i am not really into the teams like i am the cars... i know more about the cars than the drama between the teams
back to the cars Aston Martin has the power but Corvette has better handling and braking capabilities... at the last race Aston Martin car #64 lead a good portion of the race indicating that Corvette has lost its dominance... werd?
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Wow this thread got bumped all the way back to the 2nd page :o
Qualifying at Shanghai is over. Bridgestones are horrible in the wet so Schumacher is going to need a miracle to get a podium finish for the race :(. The weather forecast for Shanghai says there will be scattered showers, so bridgestone = lose. It was still a good qualifying result for Schumacher given that his tires were crap compared to Michelins
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I was puzzled by those results, seeing as how over the past few seasons, the Bridgestone intermediates usually outperformed the Michelins in the rain. Well, we'll have to wait and see what the weather will be like on race day.
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This is probably the first time I've ever checked a city's weather online every few hours to see if it's raining :D. The forecast for the afternoon says light rain, so the race will be VERY interesting especially if it stops raining for awhile and the track dries up (like Hungary)
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Well, so much for thinking that the Michelin intermediates were better than their Bridgestone counterparts. XD Schumacher shows patience, no fear, and good racing strategy and decisively took and held the lead when it counted to win the race! Once the track started to dry up the Michelins just didn't perform well. Personally I liked today's race, there was quite a bit of bumper-to-bumper action (e.x. poor Heidfeld at the end of the race, if I were Sato I stay away from him for a while). :P
Assuming that he wasn't experiencing engine troubles midway through the race, Alonso's team really messed things up for him in this race. It looked like he might have lost a gear, but the team told a reporter that they were telling him to not drive so aggressively to conserve the tires or something like that. *yeah right* Considering that Schumi was definitely gaining ground, and that Fisichella couldn't hold him back, telling Alonso to hold back should have been the furthest thing from their mind's. They also should not have, IMO, not have waited so long to change Alonso's front tires (the left one in particular was really worn down).
So now with two races left, driver's standings are tied. Suzuka, here we come! :D
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Ferrari's strategy worked beautifully. They had Schumacher go out in slicks before Fisichella which gave him a huge advantage because the tires would've been up to temperature already, so he could hunt down Fisichella and make a move while Fisichella would have to take it easy to prevent spinning out :)
Heidfeld got assraped by Honda :D. I had a feeling something would happen when I saw the pack of cars coming down the long straight ...
The standings are tied now but IF Schumacher wins at Suzuka and Alonso were to retire, then Schumacher will win the championship (before the final race) based on tie-breaker rules. But that's a big IF because there's no way Alonso will retire ...... unless Massa runs him off the track ;)
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But that's a big IF because there's no way Alonso will retire ...... unless Massa runs him off the track ;)
do not ever let ross brawn see this :D :D
alonso slowed down coz of his tires, bad pitting timings by renault. But i thought it was a good race. almost everyone joined the action in clocking fastest lap times and fastest sector times when everyone's fuel tank depleted.
there was a lot nice overtaking manoveurs, raikonnen's especially on barichello n fisichella. lots of chasing n defending actions.
i have a feeling next race will definetely be the decider, suzuka's a fast speed circuit and michael knows e track quite well. go ferrar1
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Here's a clip of the pass Schumacher made on Alonso from the spectators' perspective
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHmYiMdi53E
The view for turn 1 is awesome :o ...
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i was disappointed with the renault team, i dont really have to say why. i think that now when it come down to all the presure thats getting put on the team and alonso, they cant handle it. i want alonso to win another championship cause i dont like ferrari but at least its going down to the wire and no one can complain with that.
i wonder if schumacher wins the next race, if in the last one he would then crash into alonso on purpose like he did back in 94 or 95 to hill i think. that would be interesting...
im glad that webber finnally finished in the points even though it was lucky and 8th is pretty bad...
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i wonder if schumacher wins the next race, if in the last one he would then crash into alonso on purpose like he did back in 94 or 95 to hill i think. that would be interesting...
im glad that webber finnally finished in the points even though it was lucky and 8th is pretty bad...
Alonso wasn't around in 94/95, perhaps you mean 2004/2005? :D
Yeah, it was good to see Webber score some points. Poor guy seems to be the hard-luck story this year. It'll be interesting to see how he does next year after he leaves Williams.
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Alonso is being a cry baby again...
Reigning World Champion Fernando Alonso has widened his attack on the Renault team after losing his championship lead in China.
The 25-year-old, who in the Spanish press this week accused his team colleagues of abandoning the quest for his drivers' title, has now been quoted as criticising team-mate Giancarlo Fisichella's tactics on the Shanghai circuit.
While Ferrari boss Jean Todt hinted this week that Fisichella's precision driving on the straights was tantamount to illegal blocking, Alonso attacked his Roman cohort for overtaking him.
Alonso reportedly told Sport-Informations-Dienst: "In the same situation I don't believe that (Ferrari's) Massa would have driven past Schumacher.
"
A Renault spokesman, however, insisted that 33-year-old Fisichella 'drove purely for the team' in the Chinese Grand Prix.
And he said of Spaniard Alonso: "There is no problem at all with the relations between him and the team."
Tomorrow we expect Alonso to hit out at global warming, which must also be responsible for the loss of the championship lead.
http://f1.racing-live.com/f1/en/headlines/news/detail/061004104643.shtml
Even the person who wrote the article for F1-Live thinks the same ;). If you look back at the last 2 seasons, Alonso has always blamed somebody or something for not winning a race, but takes all the credit for his wins.
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Alonso wasn't around in 94/95, perhaps you mean 2004/2005? :D
Yeah, it was good to see Webber score some points. Poor guy seems to be the hard-luck story this year. It'll be interesting to see how he does next year after he leaves Williams.
back in 94/95 schumacher crashed into damon on purpose so that hill couldnt win the championship from him. so i hope that he doesnt do it to alonso these days. back when schue first started driving he was a bit unsportsman...
edit: heres what is on wikipedia, look at the year 1994
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Damon_Hill#1993.E2.80.931996:_Williams
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^ Oh you were talking about the collision with Hill (I thought you were talking about a different collision with Alonso :P). Yeah I remember that one (it was around the time I started watching F1). I was a pretty big Williams fan back then, and I nearly lost it when Schumi ran into Hill.
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i just found out why all F1 drivers have thick necks...
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Alonso is just getting nervous. Hes a good driver, but not more. He got arrogant because of winning and now he gets the bill. He will never reach on a man like Schumacher!
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F1 Suzuka is starting soon guys, get ready. I'm foreseeing some big crashes today
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Due to the time difference, I gotta wait until the replay to watch it (as I'll be sleeping when the race actually happens). :P
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Due to the time difference, I gotta wait until the replay to watch it (as I'll be sleeping when the race actually happens). :P
that happens to me as well if the race is on the other side of the world. :evil: XD
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OM FUCKIN' G THE FERRARI BLEW!!!
:shocked: :shocked: :shocked: :shocked: :shocked: :shocked: :shocked: :shocked: :shocked: :shocked: :shocked: :shocked: :shocked::shocked: :shocked: :shocked: :shocked: :shocked: :shocked: :shocked: :shocked: :shocked: :shocked: :shocked: :shocked: :shocked: :shocked: :shocked: :shocked:
It's been a while since Ferrari had an engine failure. Alonso better be thanking fate for this turn of event, as he had this race victory handed to him. He also now has the championship pretty much won. It's still mathematically possible for Schumi to win the championship in the final race in Brazil, but he has to win it and Alonso has to finish out of the points for that to happen (they'll still be tied for points but Schumi would win because he'd have more victories).
Tough luck as well for Albers and Webber. Poor Albers' rear section just blew apart when that half-axle came undone. As for Webber, looks like he just lost control and ran into the wall.
EDIT: As the race was ending, the coverage I was watching showed Schumi going around in the pits, shaking hands and thanking his crew for all the effort that they gave today. Now THAT is a class act. That's how a champ conducts himself. Schumi works with his team, he knows that he's just a cog in the machine and that it's mostly the team's efforts, and not just his, that enable him to win races. Even if he doesn't win the driver's championship this year, Schumi's still a champ.
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i think it was a bit of a disappointing race, it was good until schue blew up. there wasnt a whole lot of passing in the race, for about 30 laps there were very few position changes, mainly just barrichello overtaking the end people. The albers mechanical failure was pretty cool though, the back right just sort of blew off the car, his drive shaft could be seen lying in the middle of the track. For once this was a race where it was in the daytime for me, instead of being early in the morning as usual.
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I expected some drama to come up yesterday, and it really did, unfortunately it hit Schumi's ferrari and that was so disappointing. Nonetheless they did a good job reeling in the Renaults from a huge deficit early on that i cant bear to blame the mechanics slogging their ass for the team. BUT this is F1, if there's somebody that can create miracle, its Michael.
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Well, definitely an up-and-down day today for Ferrari in the qualifying session at Interlagos (Brazil). On one hand, Massa (a native Brazilian) snagged the pole for the race with amazing qualifying times. He was the only person today who managed to do a 70 second lap. He'l be starting tomorrow with Raikkonen, his future Ferrari teammate, right beside him on Row 1. On the downside, Shumi started off really strong, but then had gearbox troubles during the final qualifying run and was unable to get a lap time. Considering it's the last qualifying session ever that Schumi's going to participate in, definitely a disappointment. :( So now he's going to start tomorrow's race in 10th position on the grid.
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Alonso expects a fair race
Fernando Alonso insists he expects every driver to play fair in Brazil this weekend as he prepares to defend his championship title at Interlagos
seems to me a man who is still afraid that people will sabotage him on the last race despite having 10 points advantage. Im sure he will weasel his way to 1 point just to make sure he wins the championship
To be honest for me the important thing is the Drivers’ championship, not only for me, for everybody,” he said.
“We see all the publicity on the motorways, everywhere from China onwards. I think we only see Michael’s and Alonso’s face on the pictures. You don’t see the logo of Ferrari and Renault. I think the people remember which driver is the champion and which car he drove. I don’t think anyone remembers ten years ago who was the Constructors’ champion,” he explained.
No respect from me, nuff said. He never thinks why he's good enough to win races. Well its good he's leaving renault, i'll see what he can do next year.
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Damn, it's just not Schumi's day today. Within the first few laps, contact with Fisichella (at least I think it was Fisichella) caused him to get a flat tire, which cost him at least a minute as he had to slowly make his way back around the track to get to pit lane. :(
Then again, Interlagos isn't a favourite track of many drivers to begin with. At least 5 cars were taken out (including both Williams cars colliding with each other) within the first 15 laps.
EDITS: Spoilers (for now, will be returned to readable colour in a day or two so others who haven't seen the race yet can make comments)
Lap 31 - Schumi's worked his way back up to 12th from last place.
Lap 38 - Schumi's in 8th place, back in the points.
Lap 47 - Schumi makes (likely) his final ever pit-stop in F1.
Lap 58 - Now in 6th
Lap 64 - Holy crap he's in 5th! And there's a yellow flag! WHERE???
Lap 68 - AMAZING PASS to take 4th place from Raikkonen! They were literally INCHES from each other! :pepper:
Finish - He finishes 4th. Despite not winning, still a killer race for Schumi. Starting from 10th, then the flat, and fighting his way back up to 4th. Love him or hate him, Schumi ALWAYS gives his full effort and races to win! He never gives up, pushing his car as much as possible for as long as possible. He's not just a man who drives race cars for a living, he's a "race car driver."
Oh, and congrats to Massa for winning his home race, and big congrats to Button for getting 3rd after starting from 14th place on the grid. Congrats to Alonso for the driver's championship (I thought it was hilarious that so much more attention was on Ferrari and on Schumi, considering what Alonso said about the driver's championship being what people remember). :lol:
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firstly i have to say what a great race, i though it was one of the better ones of the year despite not that many lead changes, there wasa some good competitive driving and from 2nd place to 6th place there was only 10 seconds in it for about half the race. button and schue had damn fine races, and despite what some people may find disappointing or a shame (like the flat tyre) i though that it was good because we could really see how good schue was to get back into a good position. he never really had a good shot going into the race to win the championship. i never really liked schue that much but i sure admire him, especially after todays race!
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Schumi Vs Raikonnen was definetely the highlight of the day. Michael was inches apart from the wall and the mclaren but he never gave up and pushed his way through. When will we see those type of move again except on the great drivers. :cry:
BUT i believe that raikonnen is the best choice for ferrari to replace schumi, he drives aggresively and he has that fighting spirit which would make the most out of the ferrari cars. One more thing would be that he's good at passing people, and he's young.
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don't forget that not only is michael leaving ferrari, but alot of the engineers and behind-the-scene guys are gonna be leaving as well, so ferrari could very well be in shambles next season...
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That's true. Before Schumi came on Ferrari was a mediocre/average team at best. It was Schumi who brought in his hand-picked engineers and crew and convinced guys like Ross Braun to come aboard that helped Ferrari become so dominant. With Schumi gone, a lot of these guys will be leaving too. Ferrari's future success will definitely be based in large part to who they pick to replace whoever leaves.
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Guys guys, Schumi is leaving as a driver but i thought he was returning as an adviser or something?
I'm sure even if schumi was the 1 who brought in the engineers, they must have grown attached to ferrari and wont leave them just like that?! Ross brawn and Jean todt aint leaving either right? or are they?
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Guys guys, Schumi is leaving as a driver but i thought he was returning as an adviser or something?
I'm sure even if schumi was the 1 who brought in the engineers, they must have grown attached to ferrari and wont leave them just like that?! Ross brawn and Jean todt aint leaving either right? or are they?
I believe Todt HAS confirmed that he's "taking a sabbatical". Question is, will it be a permanent one (speculation says that it will be). As for Brawn/Braun, he came to work with Schumi. With Schumi gone, there's no reason for him to stay. Raikkonen will have his own people that he trusts and that he'll want to bring on board. Braun never worked directly with Massa (as far as I know), so yeah, expect him to be gone.
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^ Great, if the 2 brains leave Ferrari, i dont see how they can reclaim the title next year because new staff, new people takes time to settle. Cant wait for next season though! I'm hoping to make it for Australia, Malaysia GP next year
ps: i noticed that you reduced the size of your sig :D
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Yeah, the big one looked way better, but the filesize was around double the maximum that's allowed for sigs. :P
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Looks like Shumacher got a new job already :lol:
[yt]gJXOaZJodLc[/yt]
[yt]F0DTycvXvAU[/yt]
[yt]apyprIlc2lc[/yt]
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I love racing. I watch WRC and the Dutch Rally Champion ship the most.
I do love FIA GT, BTCC, WTCC, Nascar and those Japanse Championship with the 350Z and the NSXs.. but since we don't have digital tv anymore I can't get the channel on which they're broadcasted..
F1 is boring, I boycot it :)
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Now THIS is fuckin' awesome. :thumbsup
Alex Zanardi makes heroic return to F1
- By PAUL LOGOTHETIS, Associated Press Writer Thu Nov 23, 5:26 PM ET
VALENCIA, Spain - Alex Zanardi nestled himself into the car, fiddled with the buckles on his helmet until they were just right, then accelerated past a crowd of onlookers and onto the track. (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061123/ap_on_sp_au_ra_ne/car_f1_zanardi_return)
(http://img69.imageshack.us/img69/7866/45212bca98d54a43846bb4dcd9.th.jpg) (http://img69.imageshack.us/my.php?image=45212bca98d54a43846bb4dcd9.jpg)(http://img478.imageshack.us/img478/7662/zanardialexhorjr0.th.jpg) (http://img478.imageshack.us/my.php?image=zanardialexhorjr0.jpg)(http://img478.imageshack.us/img478/3989/spainf1zanardisfftt1.th.jpg) (http://img478.imageshack.us/my.php?image=spainf1zanardisfftt1.jpg)(http://img478.imageshack.us/img478/6108/apzanardido2.th.jpg) (http://img478.imageshack.us/my.php?image=apzanardido2.jpg)
I remember watching the accident where he ended up losing his legs and just gawking at the TV in disbelief. Now here he is, back in an F1 cockpit. MASSIVE props to him for not letting his condition get the better of him.
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Now THIS is fuckin' awesome. :thumbsup
Alex Zanardi makes heroic return to F1
- By PAUL LOGOTHETIS, Associated Press Writer Thu Nov 23, 5:26 PM ET
VALENCIA, Spain - Alex Zanardi nestled himself into the car, fiddled with the buckles on his helmet until they were just right, then accelerated past a crowd of onlookers and onto the track. (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061123/ap_on_sp_au_ra_ne/car_f1_zanardi_return)
(http://img69.imageshack.us/img69/7866/45212bca98d54a43846bb4dcd9.th.jpg) (http://img69.imageshack.us/my.php?image=45212bca98d54a43846bb4dcd9.jpg)(http://img478.imageshack.us/img478/7662/zanardialexhorjr0.th.jpg) (http://img478.imageshack.us/my.php?image=zanardialexhorjr0.jpg)(http://img478.imageshack.us/img478/3989/spainf1zanardisfftt1.th.jpg) (http://img478.imageshack.us/my.php?image=spainf1zanardisfftt1.jpg)(http://img478.imageshack.us/img478/6108/apzanardido2.th.jpg) (http://img478.imageshack.us/my.php?image=apzanardido2.jpg)
I remember watching the accident where he ended up losing his legs and just gawking at the TV in disbelief. Now here he is, back in an F1 cockpit. MASSIVE props to him for not letting his condition get the better of him.
yeah good on him to keep on going with what he enjoys most and not being scared away after his awful accident
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The annual Race of Champions is this weekend
http://www.raceofchampions.com/
Most likely the overall winner is going to be a 3-way battle between Kovalainen, Kristensen, and Loeb..... again. Hopefully there'll be good racing this year :)
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But swedish Ekstrom took the win this year.
At least Finland-- or Kovalainen won the Nations Cup :)
Can't wait to see him driving for real on the next f1 season.
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Ok let's get this thread ready for
Formula 1 World Championship Season 2007!!!111
(http://img201.imageshack.us/img201/241/schoolchildren600tp0.jpg)
It's about two weeks until the new season starts in Melbourne, Australia! And what a season it'll be! Now when Schumacher is gone, the table is clear and the situation is more interesting than in years.... So who's your pick for champion? And a what about teams?
Some thoughts of mine:
Ferrari, Kimi Räikkönen, Felipe Massa
Ferrari has been good at tests, especially in long runs. Massa has had always the better time in the end, but I'm sure Raikkonen will own him just like every other team he has had.
McLaren, Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton
The new McLaren has been fast, but according the comments of Alonso they still have some problems... Probably the team that'll be fighting over championship against Ferrari. I hope the best for rookie Hamilton!
Renault, Giancarlo Fisischella, Heikki Kovalainen
I have all my thumbs up for Kovalainen... If the new Renault is competitive, he might even get his first win this year. But with those drivers I doubt that they can take more than a couple of wins this season.
BMW Sauber,Robert Kubica, Nick Heidfeld
Kubica will so own Heidfeld this season! The car should be kinda good, they have beaten even Ferrari and McLaren in long run tests, and the wear for tires is minimum. However Kubica has stated that the car has still some reliability problems...
Honda, Jenson Button, Rubens Barrichello
The new Honda is the coolest car on track this year (the pic above)! Finally something new... Button got his firts win last year I hope he'll get another one this year. Eventhough the car looks cool, it seems to have some serious problems since Honda has already had crisis meetings.
Toyota, Jenson Trulli, Ralf Schumacher
Well a team that I don't have much to say... I think Trulli and lesser Schumacher have already had their finest moments in F1 and probably this season makes no change to that. At least Toyota has shitload of money, but for some reason they couldn't have done much wit it.
Red Bull, David Coulthard, Mark Webber
A car design by Adrian Newey, an engine by Renault. It worked in the 90's, Why not in the late 2000's? We'll see.
Williams, Nico Rosberg, Alex Wurz
I was sad to see one of the best teams to fall that down last season. Williams got Toyota engines for their gearbox, I guess it's better than the Cosworth one last season. Rosberg's second season in F1, I hope he has gor rid of his kamikaze style.
Spyker, Adrian Sutil, Christian Albers
I worry about this team, because their orange car will probably look like a Ferrari, giving me a shock when I see these crashing to walls or having their engines in flames :)
Toro Rosso, Vitantonio Liuzzi, Scott Speed
I hope the best for Berger....
Super Aguri, Takuma Sato, Anthony Davidson
The most Japanese team in F1. They even have a wacky name :)
So what do you think!?
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Honda actually has the best drivers pairing of this season if they are willing co-operate IMO. They have Button who can push and Barrichello who can preserve the car well.
So i'm going to have them finish in the top 3 this yr. Joining them would probable be Ferrari (look at my sig, what do you expect :lol:) and Renault.
McLaren has been producing fast but inconsistent cars the past few years. I wouldn't expect them to do any better this year, but that's only because i've not been following them.
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bump
1st race this weekend, really looking forward to it. No Shu (YES!), lots of driver movements, and a new talent in Lewis Hamilton. He looks like he could really go far, been watching him in the lower formulas over the years and he sure can race.
Ferraris fastest in Fri practice, but Lewis third. Gonna have to sit up all night for both quali and the race, be a wreck at work come Monday :D
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Interesting qualification...
Raikkonen took the pole easily when Massa broke his gearbox. Nice drive for Hamilton, McLaren can't be bad if a rookie gets it to the second row...
However, The best thing was that Super Aguri owned Honda and the others... Amazing performance from the team...
It'll be a nice race tomorrow when there's Massa and Kovalainen and other good cars who are gonna race for the top positions. Too bad I'm gonna miss it because I have to go to Tokyo :(
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^ have to agree about Super Aguri, great quali, beating the Honda works team. Also great from Hamilton, I think he has more fuel than Heidfeld so should be good in the race. Kimi is going to be hard to beat though, pity we did not see him in a shoot out with Massa, should be good to see Massa working his way through the field.
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Am a Ferrari fan and was happy to see Kimi on top. Its a little sad for Massa but i guess with a single pit stop strategy (which he should be on!) he should be able to challegene a podium finish. Dont have much hopes with Alonso (he is overrated in any case) ...... plus with Mclarens with a history of technical glitches i guess we can be rest assured he aint the champ going to be!!!
But i really cant wait for tomorrow and the season fever to hit full face! Its going to be fun and a lot more unpredicitable ...... now that the King has gone!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Oh yes, Amazing performance by the Super Aguris...... no body would have predicted such a good result..... that too beating their engine suppliers (Honda) at that.
Beamers (BMW) shall be another team to watch out for....they are getting better with time! Like i said.... cant wait for tomorrow!!1
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Well, good race, not the most exciting ever though. Ferraris, especially Kimi are quick, but so are the McLaren's. Great great drive from Lewis, leading in his first GP and finishing 3rd. A real star here.
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Great drive by Kimi, cool as ever to lead from start to finish. I must say the car looks good, no under or over steering problem. Of course this being the 1st race of the season only.
Mclaren cars look solid as well, and i believe they unearthed a gem in Hamilton. Some people around commented it's because of the reliable car that made him 3rd, but i say it takes alot of skill and concentration to just end a race. He made a superb start to round all the cars from the outside when everybody was clamouring to take the inside of the turn. Good thinking.
I also like how renault are coping without Alonso. Renault as always looks good for their handling but i'm not sure if they have enough speed in their cars.
I was not pleased by Coulthard's challenge on the rookie though. I thought he pushed his luck too far.
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^ yes, cool kimi, and great start from Hamilton. Not sure I agree about Fisi in the Renault. Put Alonso in there and I think they might have been challenging towards the front more, like last year.
I do not like Coulthard, and the move was very dangerous, a foot the other way and it wood have taken his head off. At least he put his hand up and admitted his mistake.
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Dammit, I slept through the race. :( Hope they have a replay sometime later today.
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^ ha ha, me too. Tried to stay up for a second night and fell asleep on the sofa, good job I had the recorder running so I could watch it in the morning :D
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Lucky i'm on the same side of the world as Australia :D
I doubt Alonso would have done any better than Fisichella because i don't see much speed in the Renault this year though i agree their handling has always been good.
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Replays FTW! :w00t:
That's bloody amazing that Hamilton made podium in his debut race. Major props to him! :yep:
Man, it's weird not seeing Raikkonen wearing white/black and not seeing Alonso wearing blue. :lol:
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The problem with replays here is they are not on till much later, and I always end up hearing the result on some news program :evil: at least if I record it I can watch it as soon as I get up.
What's even weirder than not seeing Alonso in blue is seeing the god awful colour/s the Renault is now. A few random tins of paint thrown at the car...shudder.
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I view F1 on ESPN and StarSport
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it's good to be in asia, although it would've been better if i'd be able to watch f1 live, althought i'd probably hate the heat. I believe kimi made a great career move, he'll be more menacing than ever, although i miss the schumacher days, kimi + schumacher would've made a great team.
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Man, when's the next race? I gotta get used to waking up early on Sundays (even though I really would prefer not to).
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This weekend in Malaysia! I hope I can get the TV I ordered on time...
As you might know there was a small leak in Raikkonen's engine cooling system, and now they are not sure if it has damaged the engine or not. Ferrari is thinking whether or not they should change the engine (and get -10 to qualify-position).
Changing the engine and getting Raikkonen to the backrow would be nice for the race... Lot of overtaking at least :)
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-10 is not that bad comparing to a retirement. so i say yeah make him qualify 1-3rd and the push him back to 11-13th, that way at least he can still finish in the points, if lucky even a podium finish and a newer engine compared to the rest on the field.
AND YAY i get to go to Sepang this year. Though it's just some lousy hill stand (this area is located @ the hairpin curve before the long straight thru the grandstand) at least i get to go since almost 3 seasons of missing it.
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Lucky you! Watching a Formula 1 race IRL is on my future todo-list :)
I hope they're still racing when I have enough money... And it just becomes more and more expensive when they're relocating most of the races outside Europe.
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Ferrari is thinking whether or not they should change the engine (and get -10 to qualify-position).
Changing the engine and getting Raikkonen to the backrow would be nice for the race... Lot of overtaking at least :)
It's Raikkonen after all. 10 places is nothing for him. If they do change the engine, he'll probably be back up in the top three within the first 15 laps. :D
AND YAY i get to go to Sepang this year. Though it's just some lousy hill stand (this area is located @ the hairpin curve before the long straight thru the grandstand) at least i get to go since almost 3 seasons of missing it.
Damn you're lucky. The only F1 races I could potentially go to are Montreal or Indianapolis, and both of them occur during the school year, so I can't exactly go. :(
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Hope ferrari wins at malaysia again! and i hope they fix that leak, sure win is better than doing lots of overtaking, it increases the risks of someone taking you out of the race. wish i could watch the malaysian race, wonder how much a ticket costs?
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Hope ferrari wins at malaysia again! and i hope they fix that leak, sure win is better than doing lots of overtaking, it increases the risks of someone taking you out of the race.
But isn't it kinda boring to win like Raikkonen did in Australia... I prefer watching wins where they have to actually do something for it... Actually that's why I hope Ferrari wouldn't be that dominant as it seemed to be, even I am a Raikkonen fan.
But we've seen many times how some teams become better at the midway of the season, like Mclaren in 2005 and Ferrari in 2006.
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It may seem boring but its really important that Ferrari takes a head way right at the start as they have an advantage of a superior car right now. The sport is really competitive now and the other teams (esp Mclaren) will catch up real soon on technology (even with a engine freeze). In fact i would go on to say that its bad luck that Massa had to suffer in the previous race and that it should really have been a Ferrari 1-2 in Melbourne (all hopes on Malaysia!!!). Get the lead and then let the fun begin!!!
Though i agree its weird seeing Kimi in red and quite rightly the new Renault looks awful.
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Won't be boring next year :D
F1 bans traction control for 2008
No car may be equipped with a system or device which is capable of preventing the driven wheels from spinning under power or of compensating for excessive throttle demand by the driver. (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/6511907.stm)
Damn good idea, lots of power slides out of corners, and great for the starts!
Yea, race weekend soon, can't wait. Hope we get a Raikkonen/Massa/Hamilton/Alonso 4 way this time. Be good to see Massa in the mix.
Also
GO McLAREN, and GO HAMILTON, show these Ferrari boys ;D
Speaking of Ferraris :confused: :confused: :confused: why :confused:
(http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k15/ggliff/carstretchferrari.jpg)
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No more traction control??? Hello burnouts at the start of the races! ;D
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no traction control? that's really bad news for teams like renault who rocket off the line, not so bad news for ferrari though, considering they have engine power. ;D
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Banning traction control is really good news... Originally it was allowed just because it was impossible to supervise. Bringing more skill factor to F1 is only a good thing.
I hope they change the point system for the next year as well...
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Bringing more skill factor to F1 is only a good thing.
Yes, have to agree, more driver input less technology.
Well, top 4 cars in top 4 places for the race, should be really good. Nice quali from Massa, but Alonso did well splitting the Ferraris. Reanault not good again, really missing Alonso I think.
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Won't be boring next year :D
Damn good idea, lots of power slides out of corners, and great for the starts!
Yea, race weekend soon, can't wait. Hope we get a Raikkonen/Massa/Hamilton/Alonso 4 way this time. Be good to see Massa in the mix.
Quite agree with you on traction control. Though u can also expect a lot of first few laps to go under the safety car!!!! As to the second part i dont think McLarens have the chance with Ferrari. But with no real challenger in sight apart from them, i guess its the race between these two teams only.
Good qualifying! Though with Alonso on the front row things can get a bit tricky for the Ferraris! I hope Kimi stays well throughout the race. But the best in the qualifyings was Rosberg. Amazing drive he had. Though not a rookie any more but he is the guy to watch for ....... after Hamilton (man he took the fire from Alonso in the last race and that was worth seeing!!!!).
Cant wait to be racing tomorrow!!!!!!!!!!
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Malaysian GP was quite interesting :)
Massa ...... lol?
The 2 races so far are proof that Massa cannot be competitive under pressure. He needs to calm down and take a few lessons on braking and overtaking. Where's Schumacher when you need him? ;D
Someone needs to show Massa the proper way to dive inside to overtake. Schumacher-style.
[youtube=425,350]7UcGBHzXRpI[/youtube]
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First of all i'm sunburnt :( I'm as red as a lobster after being grilled by the sun @ Sepang.
Ok to the race, i had to watch the replay to know what was going on as sitting in the stands limits you to just 2 informations, the winner and how hot the temperature was.
The result imo was apparent after 10+ laps.
Massa really disappointed with his immature racing style. He thinks his ferrari is a super car which can brake to a stop instantly.. Kimi on the other hand doesn't look like he has a comfortable car to ride on from the start, so can't blame him for not being able to do much except keep up with the leader's pace.
I must say Hamilton did a superb job of soaking up the pressure in the 1st 10 laps. He's a rookie but a cool one. Alonso basically had nothing to defend against. He just needed to make sure he stays out of trouble.
Heidfeld on the BMW did a good job against Massa. But the car is still not competitive enough i feel, looks like it could slide out of the circuit anytime.
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You were at the race? :o
Did you check out any of the events and booths around the pit area during the race weekend?
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The race was kinda boring after the beginning... Ferrari clearly had some problems, maybe they didn't change the Raikkonen's engine because they knew that it would had been impossible to get to the top from the back.
McLaren surely had a great start and their tactic was great as well. Ferrari should also stop talking about how they don't have a number 1 driver and shit... I think Massa already showed everyone who's better of the Ferrari drivers (not the one who lost his pole position in the first curve and then made the most stupid move in ages)
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I was surprised that Maasa made that mistake when he had that chance to overtake. I mean, he's been around for a while so he should have known better.
On the other hand, props to McLaren. First win since Tokyo 2005, and they're second double-podium finish in as many races. (http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c340/J-F-C/buttrock.gif)
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Great McLaren were great, and I am loving Hamilton, what a rookie! :D Ferrari sure are missing Shu!!
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^ We have raikonnen :) and that's enough
You were at the race?
Did you check out any of the events and booths around the pit area during the race weekend?
yeap i was.
i was there only for the race day so i didn't get to visit the pits. But on the raceday itself there were quite a few events and i got myself a red cap. O0
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I agree with ferrar1 .... we have kimi and that is enough!!!!!
But still giving the credit where it is due.... McLarens did a good job in the weekend. And as evident Kimi was visibly disappointed in the post race conference too. The start the pit stops..... Ferrari had a complete fiasco!
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Yes, not a great day for Ferrari, but I was only joking, I really rate Kimi, could even be the best driver in F1 at the moment. Looks like it might be between him and Alonso this year, unless Massa pulls his finger out or the boy wonder Hamilton does something even more amazing.
Also, ferrar1, I am so jealous of you getting to the race, been watching F1 since I can remember and still not been to one :D
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Yes, not a great day for Ferrari, but I was only joking, I really rate Kimi, could even be the best driver in F1 at the moment. Looks like it might be between him and Alonso this year, unless Massa pulls his finger out or the boy wonder Hamilton does something even more amazing.
I agree with the papers mentioning that Hamilton is highly adaptable. 1st season, new cars, new tracks and he fits in quite nicely. AND it's always good to see new blood in the race with old birds gone :)
I'm lucky as Malaysia is close and cheap to travel to. It costs barely RM 50 for the hillstand tickets = S$25 = 1 H!P album. Lodging depends on where you stay but it safely wont exceed RM 200 per night.
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Well, Raikkonen admitted being frustrated, that they weren't driving for victory this time, because of limited revs of engine and other "compromises".
I came across a great series of articles, which are about Minardi's 5-year manager Paul Stoddart. Articles give a great view behind the scenes of Formula 1 and to a circus that seems to much wilder than the one on the track.
Part I - 2001 (http://www.f1i.com/content/view/4885/1/)
Part II - 2002 (http://www.f1i.com/content/view/5108/1/)
Part III - 2003 (http://www.f1i.com/content/view/5767/1/)
Part IV - 2004 (http://www.f1i.com/content/view/5811/1/)
Part V -2005 (http://www.f1i.com/content/view/6908/1/)
BusinessF1 has other good articles as well... It doesn't seem to respond right now, but it might be just me and Japan. I'll hope the site is up again soon.
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Good quali
Massa > Kimi
Hamilton > Alonso
Very interesting, should make for a great race.
Just need Hamilton to do another great start :D
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Hopefully I'll be able to get up in time to actually watch it. (http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c340/J-F-C/LOL.gif)
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Good quali
Massa > Kimi
Hamilton > Alonso
Very interesting, should make for a great race.
Yes, and who among them will fall behind the bmws???
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^ Alonso will fall behind the bmws! good prediction reina's eyes ;)
Cool race from Massa, had it in hand from soon after the start. What another fantastic race for Hamilton, best start to an F1 career ever!! Shame they didn't put on the harder tyres for the second stint.
What a great season we are in for, soooo close.
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^ IIRC the rule states that they have to use both sets of hard and soft tyres?
Hamilton made it a turkey with 3 podium finish in 3 races. Undoubtedly a good driver who can preserve his machine well and drive well.
It will be definetely a close race this time round with the top 4 racer battling for 1st spot every race. BMW's Heidfield did well also and i think they can slowly catch up when the races switch to Europe.
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^ IIRC the rule states that they have to use both sets of hard and soft tyres?
Yes, but could have used soft set for first stint, then hard for rest of race. Still, they did not know at the time the hard would be so good, so its easy to say that after the race. :D
Edit V. Love the avatar jlk
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Massa was finally able to redeem himself for his blunder in malaysia! he's definitely rounding into form judging by his last 2 pole positions. i hope he can continue to do well for ferrari. looks like this season is gonna be reallly close with regards to the top 2 teams. Go ferrari! :)
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Heidfeld now has 4th place for all three races. Robert kubica has had as bad a start this year as his teammate's has been good. He's been fast in the past, so kubica might soon pull himself up into the top 4 places as well.
A three way tie in the points lead and races characterized by different winners and one of the top four racing toward the rear are making for a great season.
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Has anyone thought that Hamilton's and Massa's success could be just a sign how easy it is to drive a fast F1 car nowadays. Come on, a rookie gets 3 podium places in his three first races... I'd really like to see Sutin or Albers in McLaren or Ferrari :)
However 3 drivers tied in points after 3 races is great... But now when the series is kinda tight I'd like the old point system better... The win isn't important enough when it's more safe to be third and secure the points.
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McLaren and Honda had some interesting new front concepts at tests in Spain last week.
(http://img299.imageshack.us/img299/6055/73176fh2.th.jpg) (http://img299.imageshack.us/my.php?image=73176fh2.jpg)(http://img299.imageshack.us/img299/7742/73173ew3.th.jpg) (http://img299.imageshack.us/my.php?image=73173ew3.jpg)
McLaren's doesn't look that bad, and they're gonna use it in the Spanish Grand Prix next weekend. However Honda's dumbo-ears look awful and I hope FIA bans them just like the ugly side wings some years ago... Don't know if Honda is ever going to use that front in a race though.
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Damn, didn't these guys learn their lessons 2-3 years ago when Williams had that awful (and ultimately ineffective) double-keel design for the front wing? (http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c340/J-F-C/nono.gif)
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Aerodynamics sure is a black art, just look at the curves on those wings! The dumbo one is a late April fools joke right? I thought they had been photoshopped on to the picture, but google tells me they are real.
So, dumbo ears are going to save Honda are they....lol
EDIT
I have not seen it and it is prob a long shot, but does anyone now if any HP stars have been to a GP. Any photos with drivers/cars etc?
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Has anyone thought that Hamilton's and Massa's success could be just a sign how easy it is to drive a fast F1 car nowadays. Come on, a rookie gets 3 podium places in his three first races... I'd really like to see Sutin or Albers in McLaren or Ferrari :)
1 or 10 laps alone may be easy for rookies to drive.
40 to 50 laps racing against other racers might not. You need all the physical and mental concentration for every round, and it's definetely not easy.
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^ Agreed. Having the right machine is only one part of the equation. You also need to have a driver with the skills and instinct's and ability to use it to it's full potential.
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^ Agreed. Having the right machine is only one part of the equation. You also need to have a driver with the skills and instinct's and ability to use it to it's full potential.
Yes, I thought it would be that way. But this Hamilton case has made it clear that at least years' experience doesn't make you any better against a total rookie...
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yes but Fissi couldn't keep up, and Hamilton can, he just might be a bit special.
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Read that they're planning a new GP driven at the streets of Valencia, Spain. Already in 2008 season. Sorry, I couldn't find a link in english for this.
However, I'm not very happy if this true. Monaco is enough street racing for F1, and another boring race without any overtaking wouldn't do any goo for the sports. Of course f1-crazy Spain would like it, and it's definitely doing good for Bernie's wallet.
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I scrolled back several page but I didn't see a single post about Nascar. Nobody else might be interested but I'm bringing it up anyway.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. is leaving DEI. Nothing is concrete yet but he might be racing for his own team, JR Motorsports, starting 2008. Apparently he's taking Martin Truex Jr. with him.
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Dale Earnhardt Jr. is leaving DEI. Nothing is concrete yet but he might be racing for his own team, JR Motorsports, starting 2008.
I had actually heard about this. While it's a bit of a shock (though not that much, considering what's been going on between Jr. and DEI over the past few months) that he's leaving "the family company", in a way it's good that he'll be running his own team. Makes sense, when you think about it.
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Read that they're planning a new GP driven at the streets of Valencia, Spain. Already in 2008 season. Sorry, I couldn't find a link in english for this.
However, I'm not very happy if this true. Monaco is enough street racing for F1, and another boring race without any overtaking wouldn't do any goo for the sports. Of course f1-crazy Spain would like it, and it's definitely doing good for Bernie's wallet.
"f1-crazy Spain" when did that happen, well I know since Alonso, but it sure makes a change from the past!
And I agree, we DO NOT need another street circuit. Things have been looking good with the new tracks that allow overtaking, but not another street race please. the reason Monaco works is because of history and a sense of occasion with all the beautiful people. You won't get that anywhere else, just crap racing.
Finally, a GP weekend coming up, seems like ages since the last one.
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^ Lol after you said that, Bernie Ecclestone replied.
http://msn.foxsports.com/motor/story/6798932
Welcom to Singapore, pun xD
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lol great timing Bernie!
Well at last it might look amazing, Singapore at night with all lights shining should be pretty cool. But what about the racing?
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This will be the first fully-lit street race in Formula One and as a night race, we anticipate it will quickly establish itself as one of the most dramatic and atmospheric races in our calendar.
Just the fact that this is going to be a night race makes it interesting. I wonder if the change in visibility has any effect on things like pit strategy or how aggressive the drivers will be?
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I really look forward this night racing, but I don't like the idea having at least three street circuits on 2008 season (Monaco, Valencia, Singapore). I hope they design those new circuits that there would be enough chances to overtake. Although it seems to be difficult on the normal circuits as well.
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They are probably going to light up the circuit so that visibility problems are solved and for safety as well. The main thing has to be the scenery as the track will be running around the main entertainment district of Singapore.
I can't wait for 2008 :D
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Holy shit Michael Andretti is coming out of retirement AGAIN to try and win the Indy 500. :D
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Man, there were so many retirements from the Spanish GP today:
- Webber had some type of engine failure
- Raikkonen had electrical problems
- Speed's tire blew and messed up his suspension (I think)
- Trulli had fuel pump problems
- Wurz rear-ended Ralf, who later retired with suspension problems
- Liuzzi's car just seemed to die
- and a few others I didn't really pay attention to :P
I was surprised at Alonso's attempt to pass Massa on that first lap. To be precise, I'm surprised he attempted it (considering the turn and traffic at the time) in the first place. He's lucky that he didn't lose control when he went into the gravel there.
Nice little flame job on Massa's car during his first pit stop. ;D
Hey, Schumi was there in the Ferrari garage!
Aw man Heidfeld went out before his wheel nut was secured. (http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c340/J-F-C/giggle.gif) He's damn lucky that he was able to last a lap and bring it back in before finally retiring from the race.
Massa lead for almost the whole race. Good job on getting the win. Gotta say too, Coulthard had a good race today, placing 5th. Props as well to Hamilton, who's now the sole leader in the Driver's standings! Not bad for a rookie. (http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c340/J-F-C/thumbsup.gif)
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Yes, Alonso was a bit too brave. I think the pressure of Hamilton is getting to him. As for Hamilton, amazing, leader of the championship already. But Massa really had it today. Mclaren need a bit more pace.
But what about Kimi, just how unlucky is he with his cars?
What a good year, they are still soooo close.
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Yeah how come Schumi was inside the pits? Maybe they hired him back as a race consultant XD
Apart from the retirements and the 1st lap, boring...
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I missed this Grand Prix completely because of hockey :(
However, what a surprise that McLarens are leading in points after four races. And especially that Hamilton is the leading driver.
It seems that Valencia's circuit would be a same kind of street circuit as in Melbourne's Albert Park. And Singapore would be more like a real street circuit.
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another quality race by Massa! if he can keep this up he'll have a great season, so far ferrari hasn't had good drive from both drivers simultaneously, one of them always gets badluck, anyways, i feel that massa's skills complement his driving, he's good at qualifying, and that's the good thing, because he's not very good at overtaking, it's good that he stayed in front of alonso.
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A little late (was out of town) but......
Massa was outstanding. In fact ever since the Bahrain GP has come into existance, it has been seen that who ever has won the GP, has gone on to become the World Champ and also the Constructors. It has been Alonso for last 2 years (sadly!)....... but now lets hope the omen is true as the guy is really shining. But yes Ferrari needs reliability if it plans to have more podiums.
But you have to give it to Hamilton. Its amazing how he is performing. A Rookie is now leading the Championship..... has done four GP races in his life and has podium finishes in ALL the four. AND he is leading without winning a single race!!!!!
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Ohhhh, so close to pole Lewis :D Nice come back from Masa, and again, such bad luck/bad driving from kimi, Ferraris a bit off the pace looks like.
Just need Lewis to make one of his storming starts tomorrow!
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Nice to see the two McLarens fight it out! But really unhappy about Ferrari. Am getting the jitters before the race. May the mclarens crash into each other!!!!
Kimi should turn it around with a loaded fuel tank. The sad part is overtaking is down to zero in this track.
I have my fingers crossed !!!!!!
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snoooore..what...is the 'race' over
Well done McLaren..can't think of anything else :(
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snoooore..what...is the 'race' over
Well done McLaren..can't think of anything else :(
Couldnt have put it better. By far the worst race of the season for Ferrari.
Have to get the luck to turn around now. About time!
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I read that Hamilton was kinda furious on his team radio. And he should be... It's so ironic how McLaren's and Ferrari's roles have been so turn over this season. Although Hamilton doesn't seem to obey his second-driver-role so well as Massa did last season for Schumi.
I really hope they let them fight on track... And Hamilton will own Alonso :)
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Hamilton should just take it easy. If he's good, (and he proved it already after 5 races) he'll get his 1st place finish soon.
No point arguing to be the team's 1st driver and spoiling the mood of the camp.
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Hamilton should just take it easy. If he's good, (and he proved it already after 5 races) he'll get his 1st place finish soon.
No point arguing to be the team's 1st driver and spoiling the mood of the camp.
If he doesn't wanna be the 2nd driver he should argue. Hamilton does want to win more than one race after Alonso has already won the championship and to get more wins he should challenge Alonso for real even it means spoiling "the mood".
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If he doesn't wanna be the 2nd driver he should argue. Hamilton does want to win more than one race after Alonso has already won the championship and to get more wins he should challenge Alonso for real even it means spoiling "the mood".
Quite right you are! THe whole media has been harping that Lewis is better than Alonso...... till now at least. With the points at even or close to even before the previous race i think he had every right to be furious and it was right on FIA's part to question Mc Larens. Frankly i agree with McLarens on strategy..... any team would have taken that call but i too couldnt help but note the irony of role reversals Ferraris & McLarens have been having- Ferraris with inconsistency & bad luck and McLarens with domination & contervarsies!!!
Quite interesting but sadly am a Ferrai supporter. Hopefully the American continent shall bring some luck to them!!!
Am out for the next two races and will miss posting here. See you soon guys!
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I have to return to this "mood" thing... I think it's always better if there's little hate between rivals. Schumacher's battles against Hill, Villeneuve or Montoya were great, because not only on track, but also off track there was always this drama going on. For example, Schumacher and Hakkinen had great racing against each other, but Hakkinen was always so kind and nice that there wasn't really actual hate and rivalry between them.
And when it's inside the team, it's even better! Think about Prost and Senna driving at McLaren together. Actually I wouldn't mind if Alonso-Hamilton would start something similar. Hate might be a little tough word, but in the end Senna and Prost were friends, as soon as either one had quit racing.
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And when it's inside the team, it's even better! Think about Prost and Senna driving at McLaren together. Actually I wouldn't mind if Alonso-Hamilton would start something similar. Hate might be a little tough word, but in the end Senna and Prost were friends, as soon as either one had quit racing.
Couldnt resist replying seeing your comment. Once again in all agreement! Its a competitive sport and being at the pinnacle of motorsport, the competitiveness only enhances! So rivalary & bitterness is quite natural esp if the drivers of the same team are at par. Its all across the board, dont even need to trouble Prost for that every current team has that competition. But what i give credit to these guys is after the race, the second finisher not only congratutales the winner but hugs him & is even laughing with him.... IMMEDIATELY after the race! I sometimes wonder how do they compose themselves so soon. If it were me I would have really been upset after a toughly fought race! Thats true sportsmanship on display (even if not from the inside!!!). But i agree within the team rivalaries are a treat to watch.... much more fun!
Tell you bro, it would have been something to have Prost and Senna on a team!!! Now that you say it and going hypothetical, it also would have been something to have Schumi & Senna in a team...... maybe we would have seen some punches thrown then :D :D!!!!!!!!
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by the way wont be there for the next 2 races on this forum, so have fun guys and may we have interesting races and scarlet endings!!!!! ;) ;) ;)
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What a race to miss, sid_coz! The best race for a long time!
Hamilton drove solid and earned his victory, but the best part was definitely other top-drivers' competition for being the worst driver on track :D IMO this prize goes to Alonso, he was off the track four times and got overtaken by Sato in the end. Massa was not much better, amateurish mistake not to see the red light and gotten blackflagged out, come on, Kubica had stopped waiting there! Raikkonen's performance was horrible again, but I have to forgive him a bit having his front wing broken quit some time.
Rosberg's and Trullis(?) synchronized spinning was also cool, as was the Trullis performance to get his car to the wall while driving behind the safety car.
Besides Hamilton the tops of the race were definitely Sato, who took both, Raikkonen and Alonso in his Super Aguri(!) and Kovalainen, who drove from 22nd place to 4th with this Renault.
Kubica crashed badly, and I already feared the worst, but he "only" broke his legs. Astonishing example how safe those F1-cars are these days!
Absolutely the best race this far. More like this! --But without crashing walls like Kubica.
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Stupid local blackout kept me from watching this live. :cry:
Hopefully it replays later tonight. :prayers:
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Oh you have to watch JFC, as ctz said, best race all year. Fantastic action, always something happening, serious crashes. Man after the last one this is what we wanted.
Story of race, one driver in a different class. Hamilton was awesome, what can you say. What pressure he must have been under, but he held it perfectly. The pressure sure is getting to Alonso. he must have thought he was in for an easy ride getting a rookie as a co-driver, lol. Amazing performance.
Also really liked Sato in the Super Aguri as ctz said. great race and nice move on Alonso. But what about those Ferrari's, they sure need to pull their finger out.
Great great race, more in Indi please :D
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Funny enough, this was the first F1 race I watched in full, and what a race I managed to pick! Hamilton owned the other drivers, which you have to admire after the safety car cut his lead 4 times. Alonso made some pretty bad mistakes and supposedly, it seems the next race in Indianapolis is his worst track. Was cool to see Sato overtake Alonso too, nice piece of driving.
No doubts about it, the Kubica crash was bad. I feared for the worst as well, and was honestly quite surprised to hear during the race that his condition was stable. The synchronized spinning was sweet too :D Anyone know why it happened?
I'm looking forward to future races!
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will watch replay hang on XD
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Fernando Alonso whining about Lewis Hamilton:
“From the first moment, I wasn’t comfortable with everything,”
“I'm in an English team, with an English team-mate who is doing a brilliant job.
"We knew that all the support and help would be going to him."
“I understood that from the start and I’m not complaining about it.”
Great! Alonso seems to be little pissed about Hamilton's success.
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“I'm in an English team, with an English team-mate who is doing a brilliant job.
"We knew that all the support and help would be going to him."
“I understood that from the start and I’m not complaining about it.”
Gee, I wonder what he's trying to say here? :err:
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I'll bet there will be some kind of statement from Alonso to 'clarify' what he meant in the near future. To me, sounds like he can't handle some competition.
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Can't handle the pressure either. You can see it in his eyes and body language when next to the god that is Hamilton :D
lol I must say all the Hamilton hype is a bit much, but thats not his doing. Damn he sure can race, amazing. Alonso must wonder whats hit him, wasn't expecting this. Another race this weekend, great when we get one after another like this :) Wonder if the red cars will pull something out, they need to.
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Well Alonso has always been quite sore when losing to his teammate.
I don't like the Hamilton hype either, but now the ferraris are out of the championship battle I rather give my support to Hamilton than Alonso. However, not accepting him to be a wunderkind of any kind, his championship would just prove that skill and experience doesn't mean anything when you're driving a relatively dominant car.
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A lot of the hype comes from the British media, who aside from David Beckham, is pretty lacking in global sports heroes. Plus you have to look at the backstory. A young boy who lives with father, who had to juggle 3 jobs to keep up his son's racing hobby, grows up to become an accomplished driver. People lap up stories like that, and as a result, sells papers.
I'm not taking anything away from Hamilton though. I like him, regardless of what childhood he may have had, he's a good driver and seems like a good bloke too. Plus his girlfriend's hot :P
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Plus his girlfriend's hot :P
pics? url?
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http://forum.planet-f1.com/index.php?t=msg&th=52132&start=0&SQ=1af0b3376792586e82249f3bb1cd9ab6
Not the most flattering pics, but they are the only ones I could find. I know I would! :shakeit:
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^ Hell yes :inlove:
Winnarrrrrrr again :D Not the most exciting race, but he never put a foot wrong. Nice move when Alonso got alongside, out-broke the world champ and did not lock up or loose his line, cool driving. Shame Sato had a bit of a nightmare after being so good last week. Ferrari's a bit closer, but still out of touch, not sure kimi likes Shu hanging around.
But the Hamilton hype is going to get worse now :-\
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^ I don't know what will make back page. Hamilton or Beckham (probably Beckham, if only because it will mean yet another page to show Victoria) Good driving today. Not the best race, but Hamilton played it cool and got a deserved victory. Anybody see Pharrell Williams there supporting Hamilton? He was pretty enthusiastic with Hamilton's dad, but he didn't seem too keen to join in with him :lol:
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Well I think the race was exciting, of course nothing compared to Canada last week, but still it hadn't the "normal" boringness of F1.
Hamilton was good and earned his victory. Alonso wasn't too happy to lose second time in a row. However the gap is only 10 points and Hamilton only needs to crash into the wall and they're tied again. I can't believe that Hamilton wouldn't do normal rookie-mistakes. Sure he will, and then Alonso gets the points and probably the championship.
Btw, who was the guy with moustache taking the trophy for McLaren, never seen him before :)
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Well, there's another race I missed. :cry: So damn tired from the wedding yesterday that I completely slept through it.
Props to Hamilton getting his second win. Alonso better start stepping up his game. :)
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Ferrari has some problems offtrack as well...
According the recent news their wind tunnel was damaged earlier this year and may still be not working properly.
They also sued their former engineer Negley (the guy whose foot Schumi did drive over) for selling Ferrari information to Toyota. Some younger engineers also resigned after Canada GP this year.
btw, Where do you get your F1 news in english? I have tried to find a site with a wide range of news topics from driver's comments to behind the scenes stuff, but haven't found anything. All the sites are just this "positive" stuff... And nothing about Ferrari suing Negley for example.
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Well Alonso has always been quite sore when losing to his teammate.
I don't like the Hamilton hype either, but now the ferraris are out of the championship battle I rather give my support to Hamilton than Alonso. However, not accepting him to be a wunderkind of any kind, his championship would just prove that skill and experience doesn't mean anything when you're driving a relatively dominant car.
Hi guys, great to be back!!
Ferrari out of the championship???????????? No way mate! Yes they havent been doing as much testing but now they are on it and they are going to hit back..... starting France.
But its the second comment on no skills required to be a champ is worth pondering over. You have really said it man. never looked at it that way. What one can add further is that if this is true then really all other drivers who have 'tried' to be at the top and have been commeneded for their efforts are really fools!!! It wasnt as tough as they made it look!!!
There should be room for rookies who are excellent drivers and can adapt & learn fast but such a show really proves that its relatively easy to do it .... esp. in a well established car! Hamilton is hyped, no doubt but he hasnt put a foot wrong and he is all over the podium. No one really has had such a dream run ever.
I saw both the races, the Canadian esp being a very interesting race. A lot went on and there really should be one such race in a season, when u are at the edge of the seat and with a lot of unanswered questions at the end of the race. Though we could do without the Kubica episode. But am happy that he shall be cleared for a run at France. Incredible F1 safety!
As always, cant wait for the next race!
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btw, Where do you get your F1 news in english? I have tried to find a site with a wide range of news topics from driver's comments to behind the scenes stuff, but haven't found anything. All the sites are just this "positive" stuff... And nothing about Ferrari suing Negley for example.
Just Google it..... I got lots of info on it. but i agree there is mostly 'positive' stuff everywhere!!
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I like PittPass, all sorts of stuff on there, positive and critical, in fact they have an article on the front page moaning about the Hamilton hype atm :)
http://www.pitpass.com/
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I like PittPass, all sorts of stuff on there, positive and critical, in fact they have an article on the front page moaning about the Hamilton hype atm :)
http://www.pitpass.com/
Good site ...... though here also there isnt much on Nigel Stepney.
And ctz i dont think Schumi drove over Nigel's foot.
Cheers for the site again!
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Good site ...... though here also there isnt much on Nigel Stepney.
And ctz i dont think Schumi drove over Nigel's foot.
Cheers for the site again!
Well I don't remember whether Schumi actually drove over Stepney's foot or not, but hit him anyway and Stepney got injured.
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Well the French GP starts this afternoon! the qualification was somewhat comeback for Ferrari, at least Massa got the pole. Hamilton is still driving surprisingly goo, I was expecting some rookie-mistakes already. Maybe we'll see them in the race then.
But the best thing was seeing McLaren having some techinical problems at last! And I have to admit that I like it was Alonso this time :)
A nice video showing what really happened Indianapolis... :D
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EM1uYNyn3qw (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EM1uYNyn3qw)
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Well that was interesting! Hamilton again made a podium position, but was ousted by Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa at first and second, respectively. So that was the last race we'll see of the French GP then?
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So that was the last race we'll see of the French GP then?
Probably the last one in Magny-Cours. They're trying to get the Grand Prix to the streets of Paris.
But nice to see Ferrari's comeback. And especially Raikkonen's. Eventhough he had some luck Massa jamming in traffic, but he have had bad luck this season as well. Massa was seemingly pissed in the press conference explaining about the timings and stuff. Ok, gotta admit he was right though. I can't wait Alonso's comments. There can be some honest anger... He just couldn't pass Heidfeld afterall and gap to Hamilton is already 14 points.
A great example how nowadays wins have no value... All the top4 drivers have two wins each, but in points the one who gets more podiums will win. I hope they change the points system already for the next season.
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^ Moving to Paris? I don't know about that, to be honest. Right now the only other "street" course is Monaco (I think), and there's always been talk about how it's a course where it's virtually impossible to pass (aside from moments in Pit Lane). I'd much prefer to see the race stay at an actual, proper race track like Magny-Cours instead of zipping down the Champ-Elysees.
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Well I don't remember whether Schumi actually drove over Stepney's foot or not, but hit him anyway and Stepney got injured.
You were right and i am wrong!! Yup he indeed went over Stephney's foot and injured him.
Anyways its happy times!!!!!!!! Ferrari did it! Awesome finish..... a full 32 secs ahead of Lewis! Well Mclaren screwed up more on strategy than on track...... thats if you discount Alonso! Man he must be one frustrated soul after the race!! But he has no one else to blame but himself. Hamilton showed in one go how to overtake a BMW! I think we can see some mistakes from Alonso now ..... as the pressure will be really on him! One good last French GP is all i can say! Good scarlet come back .... the testing did them good!
Meanwhile the Stephney episode is hotting up with him being chucked out of Ferrari and McLaren denying any benifits from the alledged information passing!
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Ferrari owning in Silverstone practice sessions this far... I hope they do the same in qualifying as well!
What comes into Stepney's case, it turned out to be bigger than I could ever imagine. And quite strange. Was the revenge only reason for Stepney's treachery? And why did McLaren's chief designer Mike Coughlan keep the data he got from Stepney at his aparment just waiting for the police... Come on, Stepney was already sued, should ring some bells. Was this the only case or how long this has been going on?
I certainly hope that McLaren as a team is innocent and this is only Stepney's and Coughlan's own doing. Because it would sure ruin one of the most interesting seasons for a long time if McLaren or itd drivers would end up getting some penalties in points.
Btw, rumors tell that Hamilton's friend P.Diddy wants to buy a F1 team :) How cool team would that be! :D
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Yep, apparently Raikkonen owned the practice sessions today. His best lap of one minute 20.639 seconds was 0.449secs quicker than Massa. Lewis Hamilton was fourth fastest nearly 0.75secs behind and Alonso was sixth.
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Well, in the words of the commentators
Pure genius
Slower all weekend, but Hamilton pulls it out on the last lap at his home GP, just a fantastic pole position. The pressure he must have been under this weekend, but just does not get to him.
man it's gonna be a good race, top 4 soooo close :D
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Raikkonen wins the British GP, with Alonso 2nd and favourite, Hamilton, getting 3rd (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/6281352.stm)
I think the pressure got to Hamilton quite frankly, but still, 9th podium in a row. And Raikkonen owned everyone else. Looking forward to the German GP in a fortnight and see how accurate the real Nurburgring is in comparison to Project Gotham/Forza Nurburgring :D
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Nice driving from Raikkonen. And he even tried to fight with Hamilton. It's sad how F1 nowadays is just waiting for pit-stops and then getting couple of fast laps to get by.
Hamilton finally did his first rookie-mistake, I hope we'll see a second one being more serious that we get the championship more even.
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well i was also equally impressed with Massa. That's tough driving to pass all the way for 5th starting out from the pits.
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Dammit I really need to stop staying up so late the night before a race. :(
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Great from both the Ferrari boys, and a tiny dent in Hamilton's halo. But he just didn't have the machinery to win this one.
Maybe McLaren had to take some red bits off the car :D
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well i was also equally impressed with Massa. That's tough driving to pass all the way for 5th starting out from the pits.
Couldnt agree with you more! It was Kimi who really ruled the day and with the laps he took after Alonso pitted the second time were phenominal..... but Massa was amazing .... esp in the start when he went ruthlessly over the back end drivers. Quite incredible i must say! Who says there isnt overtaking on track.
Even the move by Kimi was good.... but the way Hamilton closed the door was quite amazing..... and dangerous too!
Maybe McLaren had to take some red bits off the car :D
Kinda makes me think likewise!!!! :lol: :lol:
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well i was also equally impressed with Massa. That's tough driving to pass all the way for 5th starting out from the pits.
Behind the grid to fifth is quite impressive, but it was kinda easy for him. He didn't really have hard time with anyone before Kubica. It was like lapping people, no one even tried to block his way. Hill never gave up when Schumi was coming behind even Hill was driving Arrows.
Looking forward to the German GP in a fortnight and see how accurate the real Nurburgring is in comparison to Project Gotham/Forza Nurburgring
I didn't notice that they're not driving on Hockenheim this year :( Too bad, Hockenheim has always been one of my favorite tracks.
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I didn't notice that they're not driving on Hockenheim this year :( Too bad, Hockenheim has always been one of my favorite tracks.
Yes man even i realized it recently. Yup me missing the real german GP as well. But without Schumi it would not have been all that fun! The races arent all that fun without him anyways. Its like they have taken the bully-boy out of the equation ..... he was really the talk of all races!
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WHOA. I admit I ain't too big on racing. Even tho I made this thread just to pimp Danica :lol:
Well, I seen some racing in person. AND IT IS CRAZY. The Edmonton Grand Prix (http://www.grandprixedmonton.com/), bunch of practices. CHAMP CAR, Atlantic car (with "Malcolm in the Middle" star Frankie Muniz (http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/story.html?id=8f733a79-c845-4c98-a8f5-135e216b1a68&k=299)) NASCAR: Canadian ver.
Here's the track.
(http://img184.imagevenue.com/loc12/th_02372_DSC02184_122_12lo.JPG) (http://img184.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=02372_DSC02184_122_12lo.JPG)(http://img9.imagevenue.com/loc697/th_02374_DSC02207_122_697lo.JPG) (http://img9.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=02374_DSC02207_122_697lo.JPG)
here's those CASCAR guys:
(http://img7.imagevenue.com/loc766/th_02381_DSC02214_122_766lo.JPG) (http://img7.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=02381_DSC02214_122_766lo.JPG)
Met some drivers, like Bourdais, Paul Tracy, and that lady driver not named Danica. Legge ...
(http://img160.imagevenue.com/loc684/th_02387_DSC02217_122_684lo.JPG) (http://img160.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=02387_DSC02217_122_684lo.JPG)(http://img188.imagevenue.com/loc587/th_02393_DSC02219_122_587lo.JPG) (http://img188.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=02393_DSC02219_122_587lo.JPG)(http://img144.imagevenue.com/loc654/th_02400_DSC02220_122_654lo.JPG) (http://img144.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=02400_DSC02220_122_654lo.JPG)(http://img5.imagevenue.com/loc766/th_02406_DSC02221_122_766lo.JPG) (http://img5.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=02406_DSC02221_122_766lo.JPG)
Mario Andretti is the grand marshall. Here is him testing out his two-seater for a prize winner
[youtube=425,350]fgNFobp1gQk[/youtube]
hope to get an autograph from him!!
zooom cars. stood at the fence, fuck a GOLD SEAT package!! Poor people stand here!
[youtube=425,350]-We8lV752u0[/youtube]
More qualifying tmr. in 6 hours actually :lol: Finals on Sunday.
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Cool daigong, thanks for the pics. Jealous! Been a fan of F1 all my life, yet still not seen one for real :(
Looks like the boy wonder is quick again this weekend, but hard to tell how the red things are doing as I think they were holding back a bit in free practice. Quali in a few hours YAY, I love race weekends :D
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Now there's a twist. On exiting a hairpin, the right front tyre of Hamilton's car seemingly burst and as a result Hamilton crashed and looks unlikely to race tomorrow, certainly his car is in no shape to do so. That's a shame. Hope he recovers soon, it looked like a nasty crash to me. So does McClaren have another driver to select? Or is it too late?
EDIT
Scratch that, Hamilton looks fit to race again for tomorrow.
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Hamilton crashed? Wow, that's a first for his F1 career. Oh well, at least it was only practice and not the actual race.
On another note, /me is uber jealous of daigong hanging out at the Edm GP. :banghead:
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Hamilton crashed? Wow, that's a first for his F1 career. Oh well, at least it was only practice and not the actual race.
It kinda ruined his qualifying... He's still got 10th place or 20th if they have to change the engine...
After hearing that Hamilton is ok, I gotta admit that I think there was something good in his accident. First, it's nice to see him start behind the first two rows and see him in real action! I hope those wussies before him won't make it too easy for him as they did it for Massa in the last GP. This season has been far too easy for Hamilton anyway. So now he have a chance to prove his skills. Other good thing is that I don't mind Ferraris and Alonso getting closer to Hamilton in points. More tighter the championship, the better!
Btw... Raikkonen was surprisingly dominant today. About 0.3sec gap to both Alonso and Massa. Alonso made a mistake, so probably he don't have much fuel for the race. But I don't believe Massa would have chosen a different tactic (more fuel) than Raikkonen and there was still quite a gap between Ferraris. Did Massa have any problems?
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It'll definitely be interesting to see how Hamilton handles himself starting from the middle or back of the group. Will he change his driving style to climb up? Will he be ABLE to climb up?
Dammit now I really want to see this one...but knowing my luck I'll probably sleep through it again. :banghead:
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Watching Hamilton come through the pack last year in GP2 was awesome, lets see what he can do tomorrow. Its just as Alonso said, the luck gets shared out over the whole season. Raikkonen's going to be tough to catch though.
Keep knocking back the red bull JFC lol
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IT'S CARNAGE!! LMAO. The rain has caused at least 6 cars to crash, including Hamilton. Unbelieveable start and they've now put the red flag up. Madness.
EDIT
Now it gets really interesting! Alonso wins and Hamilton gets no points at all. Alonso is now 2 points behind Hamilton overall. What an ending though seeing Alonso and Maasa going side by side against each other.
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Raikkonen had hydraulics problem again in Germany! Well there goes his chances for championship. Next year then! Losing to Alonso didn't raise Massa's points either. Fight for the championship is going to be between Alonso and Hamilton now... and probably Alonso is gonna win that battle.
But it was a nice and entertaining race, gotta admit that. But what the hell was that towing help for Hamilton? Ok, his engine might have been running, but they lift him back to track with a crane? At least he didn't score any points...
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Yes, Hamilton no points :( but what cool thinking to stay in the car and get some help from a crane lol
What a great race, who said F1 is boring! nice move by Alonso at the end, nothing wrong there IMO. Nice to see a red bull up there, especially the one driven by Webber, a real nice bloke.
And that makes things fun in the championship as well.
Oh, if only Lewis did not touch the two mad williams at the start, he was up to 4th then...
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Story of my life.
...
...
Slept in again...then I was out for the whole day so I couldn't watch the replay broadcast either. :banghead:
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i was on Malaysia's North South highway when the race was going on XD XD
i got to see the qualifying though, and will catch race replay later tonight.
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According to hearings by FIA today, McLaren have had stolen Ferrari data, but there is not enough proof that they have used that information this season. McLaren got away without any penalties.
Well, I guess it is a good this way.
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Good for McLaren, but not good for Ferrari if that stolen data was used.
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Yes, I think it was a technical 'possession' where one of the McLaren team had the data, but no proof that anyone else used it.
Also, Bernie would not want a court case ruining the Hamilton effect publicity thing thats going on now. Lots of new viewers do not want to see the usual F1 legal circus affecting the championship. edit and nor do I :D
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Here's the rest of the champ car weekend...I must say, I'm a changed man. A new fan if u must. Here's the CHAMP car trophy they win:
(http://img125.imagevenue.com/loc1177/th_49793_DSC02229_122_1177lo.JPG) (http://img125.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=49793_DSC02229_122_1177lo.JPG)
Met Mario Andretti, but had to pay a 30 buck "paddock pass" to get in:
(http://img46.imagevenue.com/loc937/th_49818_DSC02278_122_937lo.JPG) (http://img46.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=49818_DSC02278_122_937lo.JPG)
and he signed my ticket. The huge bodyguard kept shit moving along lol
(http://s2.supload.com/thumbs/default/marioandretti-1.jpg) (http://s2.supload.com/free/marioandretti-1.jpg/view/)
here he is driving around, going "start ur engines!" and stuff:
[youtube=425,350]Dz8XXH3--fI[/youtube]
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Dz8XXH3--fI
...still, I gotta keep it real. Here's a bunch of babes hopping into a golf cart:
(http://img143.imagevenue.com/loc805/th_49799_DSC02254_122_805lo.JPG) (http://img143.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=49799_DSC02254_122_805lo.JPG)(http://img15.imagevenue.com/loc676/th_49805_DSC02258_122_676lo.JPG) (http://img15.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=49805_DSC02258_122_676lo.JPG)(http://img176.imagevenue.com/loc532/th_49816_DSC02273_122_532lo.JPG) (http://img176.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=49816_DSC02273_122_532lo.JPG)(http://img158.imagevenue.com/loc971/th_49819_DSC02291_122_971lo.JPG) (http://img158.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=49819_DSC02291_122_971lo.JPG)
Even that punk ass Malcollm in the Middle got into some action, he finished like 17th in the Atlantic series:
(http://img5.imagevenue.com/loc1164/th_49836_DSC02293_122_1164lo.JPG) (http://img5.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=49836_DSC02293_122_1164lo.JPG)
Finally, the BIG RACE...I love my camera work..check out the 1st minute where I scope the people around me :jerk:
[youtube=425,350]_UF__imfuoY[/youtube]
http://youtube.com/watch?v=_UF__imfuoY
Bourdais the McDonald's guy won in a sleeper!
(http://img165.imageshack.us/img165/9460/champedmontonautoracingqm6.jpg)
(http://img43.imagevenue.com/loc731/th_49837_DSC02350_122_731lo.JPG) (http://img43.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=49837_DSC02350_122_731lo.JPG)(http://img28.imagevenue.com/loc1127/th_49843_DSC02352_122_1127lo.JPG) (http://img28.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=49843_DSC02352_122_1127lo.JPG)(http://img19.imagevenue.com/loc792/th_49855_DSC02356_122_792lo.JPG) (http://img19.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=49855_DSC02356_122_792lo.JPG)
Paul Newman, old man on the left:
(http://img530.imageshack.us/img530/3512/dsc02353sa1.th.jpg) (http://img530.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc02353sa1.jpg)
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ChampCar looks nice... At least on that daigong's video :)
Yes, I think it was a technical 'possession' where one of the McLaren team had the data, but no proof that anyone else used it.
Also, Bernie would not want a court case ruining the Hamilton effect publicity thing thats going on now. Lots of new viewers do not want to see the usual F1 legal circus affecting the championship. edit and nor do I :D
What comes to this case again, I was quite happy in my last post that McLaren got away without any punishments. No one wants to see it affect to the championship. However, if we think about it, the decision gives a quite a weird message. Basically they stated that McLaren had broken the rules, but deserved no punishments because they can't proof that they have gained advantage.
With this logic, breaking the rules is ok in F1, if there is no proof having an advantage because of that. Ferrari can actually test as much as they like... Others have to prove that those tests have improved the car or something.
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Thanks for the champ car stuff daigong, as I said before, I'm very jealous, especially of meeting the great Andretti. lol sounds like a H!P handshake event, where you have the staff moving everyone along :D
@ ctz
Yes, it is a strange message for sure. But the bottom line in all of F1 is, IMHO, if Bernie thinks they should have been done they would have been, if not they get away. lots of quite words in corridors - don't wreck the championship etc. not saying its right, but to be honest, i do not see big Ron acting this way so I think the outcome was OK.
But yeah, you can just see the future when someone does something wrong: but Bernie, we did not gain an advantage, prove we did! Should be fun for the lawyers :D
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/me sees dai's stuff.
:imdead:
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McLaren hits back, and how
http://www.pitpass.com/fes_php/pitpass_news_item.php?fes_art_id=32299
very very interesting, getting to the truth of the whole thing now I think, seems like its actually the red boys been a bit naughty ;)
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Oooooooooooh...it's getting good now. :)
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All I have to say is
ALONSO IS A CHEATING BASTARD
stuff it to him tomorrow Lewis
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have been away again.... and have surly missed the thread. more so because what a happening 2 weeks these have been! F1 is really abuzz..... and frankly not happy about it myself. But i am actually in double minds. If Mclaren has cheated (of which i have no doubts) they should be punished. But in the interest of the sport i was ok about FIA letting them off...... as it would have created a lot of negative publicity. But with the new counter allegations (Mclaren saying Ferrari cheated in Melbourne and Ferrari denying it & also the Court of Appeal thing) i think that if Mclaren DID really cheat, then again in the interest of the game shouldnt they really be punished. I think thats what would be Ferrari's point of view..... to which i dont disagree. Like i said a double mind. Would appreciate u guys views on it.
As to the Australian GP i feel Ferrari would have done EXACTLY as Mclaren claims but to put it rightly..... its more of a case of finding a loophole in the rules and using it..... which practically every team (including mclaren) does .... why only teams everyone everywhere does it to get the better of any scenario. So i dont think Ferrari is at the wrong there (esp when the stewards cleared both the cars!)
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truly not good days for Ferrari...... Mclaren 1-2 at qualifying.... and a 4-14 for Ferrari. Real stroke of bad luck running the Ferrari season. I think 4 years of Mclaren bad luck has taken its toll on the scarlet cars.
Though i still hope the front runners crash into eachother. Given their rivalries its quite a possible scenario! ;)
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sorry to be posting remark after remark...... but couldnt help but post this ... check it out:
http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2007/8/6588.html
Like i said .... a mclaren fight is more predictable scenario..... being a Ferrari fan i cant but hope for the best! :)
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I missed the race last weekend, but what I heard it was kinda boring... At least compared to what happened at qualifying :)
Alonso and Hamilton are really heated up now. Great! This is how it should be. Thumbs up for hot teammate-hate! Thumbs down for FIA, who messed up giving Alonso and McLaren punishments. Hamilton didn't let Alonso pass on track, so I think it was just fair that Alonso had his payback :) . I don't understand what rule did he break there. And no points for McLaren? What the hell.. It is just like that FIA is punishing McLaren randomly because theyt couldn't give any sanctions over the spying case. McLaren has already protested FIA's decision, so there's just more points for court room to decide who's gonna get them.
And what comes to spying case, it seems that McLaren screwed it up this time. Ron Dennis' excuses about how they used the spied information only to bust Ferrari's illegal parts is ridiculous. Sir Ron, the defender of righteousness, yeah right. After that I wouldn't be surprised if they really would lose all their points this season.
It's sad that one of the most interesting seasons for a long time is ruined by this mess.
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It's sad that one of the most interesting seasons for a long time is ruined by this mess.
Quite agree. But I don't think they will mess with the drivers championship points, too much bad publicity. And as much as I was very amused by Alonso being put down the grid, it was a team matter i think. The stewards should have not got involved.
And you sure did not miss much ctz, another boring Hungarian GP, I don't know why we keep going there.
But goooo Hamilton. He just does not seem to be affected by anything on or of the track. What a rookie!
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Hung-bore-ring.....thats what it was!!
Right: what they did to alonso.
Wrong: (even though a Ferrari supporter) strapping McLaren of the team points
Interesting: the differences between Alonso, Hamilton & Mclaren.. in which it appears that the latter two are sort of teaming up against the former world champ.
Threat: Alonso may leave Mclaren mid-season!
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They acknowledge it:
Check out this ...... taking things on the lighter side:
http://www.mclaren.com/interactive/video_mbtvc_fernando_lewis.php
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I've never been a fan of Juan Pablo Montoya. IMO, he's reckless and too full of himself and overconfident in his own abilities. Case in point, in this recent NASCAR race, he takes out HIS OWN TEAMMATE in order to take the lead and the win. It's like, what, he couldn't wait for another turn so that he could safely pass the guy and actually make himself look like a good/smart driver?
[youtube=425,350]8EHEem7_LkI[/youtube]
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I've never been a fan of Juan Pablo Montoya. IMO, he's reckless and too full of himself and overconfident in his own abilities. Case in point, in this recent NASCAR race, he takes out HIS OWN TEAMMATE in order to take the lead and the win. It's like, what, he couldn't wait for another turn so that he could safely pass the guy and actually make himself look like a good/smart driver?
Well Montoya sure has given an arrogant and reckless image of himself. Still, eventhough he makes lot of stupid moves, his driving style is entertaining :) And that's why I liked Montoya in a certain way. During his F1 years he never gave up and had some good battles against Schumacher and others.
I don't know about Nascar, but at least in F1 good and smart drivers are also boring drivers. So that's why I like that there's also drivers like Montoya to give some color to the sport.
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^^ Good point there about interesting dirvers. Especially on the nascar roundy rounds, where "one of them racin' incidents" adds some interest. :-)
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Go red cars, nice speed this time, in front all weekend. Masa is such a nice bloke, well done for him.
Unlucky Hamilton, was doing real well till the puncture. He managed to get a front row with plenty of fuel, and beat Alonso who had less fuel in quali. The only way Alosno can beat him is s he has more problems like that in the next few races.
This season is so good, so close between the front 4
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Gimmmee RED!!!! Great result for the scarlets..... great strategy, great performance. The choice of tyres really made that extra difference to Ferrari and the team has shown that it is still in the league!!! If the hearing on the 16th goes against Mclaren and they dont get the team points they lost in the previous race, i think Ferrari is most likely to take the Constructors from them!
Tough luck for Hamilton but from the team point of view they only about lost a point (ie from being 3rd & 4th to 3rd & 5th). Well the driver's ill-luck had to hit him sometime.... its been doing rounds in Ferrari and Alonso... he had to bite the bug! Still he was better off .... could have been out of the race, had he been speeding! Seems like a little more of the luck factor would be in play for him!
This within team competition is really hotting up in both the teams. Though between teams is far more interesting but with individual Ferrari drivers being a good 20 points behind the other two.... that really seems a little impossible.
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I've never been a fan of Juan Pablo Montoya. IMO, he's reckless and too full of himself and overconfident in his own abilities. Case in point, in this recent NASCAR race, he takes out HIS OWN TEAMMATE in order to take the lead and the win. It's like, what, he couldn't wait for another turn so that he could safely pass the guy and actually make himself look like a good/smart driver?
Great video there..... only and ONLY Montoya could do that!!! And quite argee with ctz..... normal is boring. Juan did have interesting time in F1. He was piped to be the greatest when he came in and then he showed he was the greatest...... MAVERICK in times to come!!! But yes good entertainment and was not too happy to see him go to Nascar (you see we had THREE Ferrrari drivers when he was in Mclaren!! :lol:)
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Uh I came back from Japan sunday morning and I happened to sleep over the Turkish GP. Good thing that Hamilton lost points and Ferrari's got some. I have no really comments on other things happened in the race.
I hope Hamilton keep losing points and we'll get an interesting season ending again. Despite the good performance of Ferrari in the last races, I believe it is gonna be between Alonso and Hamilton this year. And for some reason that I cannot understand myself, I'm cheering for Alonso now. Maybe it is just that Hamilton has been the dominant one this year...
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Time to bump this thread up a bit, It's only few hours to Monza!
McLaren was surprisingly fast in qualifying, probably Alonso wins this Grand Prix easily.
The newest rumor about McLaren spying scandal is that if Ron Dennis quits, McLaren wouldn't get more any serious penalties. I hope this isn't true, because it would make the whole thing just some kind of personal crusade against Ron Dennis... But they have done it before too :(
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[size=8]OH SNAP!!![/size]
McLaren have been stripped of their points in the 2007 Formula One constructors' championship after the outcome of the 'spygate' row.
The team was also fined a record $100m (£49.2m), which includes any prize and television money they would have earned from the constructors' championship.
But drivers Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso can keep their points. (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/6991147.stm)
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^ Sunovabitch! :o
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50M, small change to big Ron lol, not really that's more than some of the small teams spend in a year!
Thank god the amazing drivers championship was not affected. Be nice to see just what the evidence was.
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Well this was kinda good punishment.
Taking away constructor's points, well that's bad, but the audience cares pretty much only the driver's championship, so it's good that there's still a real fight for that.
100 million dollars sure is much money, and it sures has an effect on something. No new motorhome for next season!
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What I was wondering was what evidence there would be of the advantage that mclaren got as a result of the info they received and what direct effect that had on their performance and standing in the championship. Seems there was actually little demonstrable tangible benefit.
The fia was in a tough position in penalizing mclaren because of what it would do to hurt the exciting championship race we've had this year.
A very clever move would have been to ban mclaren for two races. A truly significant penalty, and should ferrari have finished first and second in those races the points race would have tightened right up. Oh well.
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Two race ban would have surely make the last two races interesting, but if Raikkonen or Massa got the championship, they always have been remembered not getting it by driving but because of FIA decision. So, I think it's better this way, eventhough there will be a stain in this championship whoever wins it.
But I'm little shocked about how McLaren actually used that information they got. All the things Dennis said before seems to be bullshit. De la Rosa's and Alonso's e-mails about discussing Ferrari's weight balance and testing it in a simulator is kinda revealing. I wouldn't be surprised if Mercedes-Benz tries to get rid of Ron Dennis as soon as possible to save their face.
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Rally champion Colin McRae dies with son in helicopter crash (http://timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/more_sport/article2461339.ece)
rip.
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Not the best conditions to race in :lol:
With a 12 point gap between Alonso, and with 2 races in China and Brazil to go, I'd say Hamilton just won the championship.
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And if he doesn't win the championship, that'll be even more exciting!
Not that I wouldn't like to see him win it, just that it would be quite a twist if he doesn't now.
Schumi tended to do poorly in the final races of the season, so we'll see about hamilton.
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I'm too lazy to look this up, have there been any previous instances of a rookie driver winning the driver's championship?
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I think this will be the first time! Go Lewis. I enjoyed this race, all sorts going on, and Alonso crashing, Yay.
The red boys doing everything they can not to win again, really not got things right this year, fastish car, but real poor strategy. Also, they should really get a new e-mail ISP ;)
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I'm too lazy to look this up, have there been any previous instances of a rookie driver winning the driver's championship?
JV (Jacques Villeneuve, not Jos Verstappen) I think. And possibly others, and also the first year the championship was held. For some it might be first full year.
Anyway, Lewis is proving to be the worst at losing the championship this year!
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^ hmmm
No rookie has ever become World Champion in Formula 1. In the 1960s and 1970s there were some meteoric careers but this was more to do with the fact that drivers were dying and thus there were more opportunities for new boys to make a big impression.
Race winners in their rookie seasons are pretty rare, but World Championship challengers are a very select group. Jacques Villeneuve was second in his first year in 1996 but he came from a background in high-powered Indycars and so started at an advantage. Further back in time Eugenio Castellotti, Jackie Stewart and Clay Regazzoni were all third in the World Championship in their debut seasons, while Ronnie Peterson was runner-up in the World Championship in his first full season.
http://www.grandprix.com/ns/ns19044.html
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^ No rookie has ever become World Champion in Formula 1.
... except for the first season. :-)
Thanks for the research.
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The Japanese GP turned out be a great race, eventhough the beginning was kinda scandalous.
Hamilton probably can't drive bad enough to screw up his championship. Hamilton's driving was everything else than great, he spinned three times. Luckily Alonso was even worse and Ferrari's tactics were so wrong.
The first 10 laps behind the safety car was boring as hell. I understand that the race can't be started if helicopters can't take off, but it's the fog. Why to use safety car only because of rain? Many of the drivers were whining how they're not seeing anything and race should be stopped. What the hell?! If they don't have guts to drive, they can quit the race whenever they want --or drive slower.
The other thing I have to mention again is that nowadays many of the tracks don't have sand and concrete walls outside the track, but tarmac! Way too forgiving... In Fuji it was almost faster to drive off the track for better grip --the last corner where Massa overtook Kubica for example. Thogh it wasn't so bad yesterday, because we could see some good fights, but in general I like the fact that going off the track should cost you.
Also gongratulations for Kovalainen. He didn't make mistakes and deserved his first podium.
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Agree about the tarmac, seems there is no penalty for going off the track these days, not sure about the sand traps, but there should be something that takes a while to get out off.
And yes, good result for Kovalainen, nice guy, deserves it.
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:o :o :o Guess the Championship isn't as clear cut as I thought! When I saw Hamilton get pole position yesterday, I thought, yep that's that, but genuinely surprised he had to retire in the race. Alonso said he needed a miracle to make a comeback, and he definately got one. Raikkonen won, so that leaves a 4 pt gap between Hamilton and Alonso, and a 7pt gap between Hamilton and Raikkonen going into the final race in Brazil.
Which is good, because as good a driver as Hamilton is, I didn't want the final race to count for nothing.
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^ Indeed. The drama's always better when it's down to the wire. :D
EDIT: Hooray for replays! I can finally watch a race in it's entirety! :w00t:
WTF Ralf Schumacher's leaving Toyota and Sebastian Bourdais is joining F1 next season?!?? :o
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Chinese GP was sure a good thing for the championship fight.
Still, an amateurish mistake from Hamilton... He has got everything so easily this season he wanted to triumph in China as well. Wise man would've just driven for the fifth place.
WTF Ralf Schumacher's leaving Toyota and Sebastian Bourdais is joining F1 next season?!??
Schumacher was probably just kicked out, but they left him some respect and chances to get to another team by letting him say he's gone by his own will... I'm surprised if he's driving F1-car next season.
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Last race of the season, i'm expecting a ferrari 1-2. But i really don't see Hamilton claiming his 1st world title since england lost to Russia in international, England lost to SA in rugby and maybe the English rookie won't get his way.
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^ Yep, wound up Ferrari 1-2. Congrats to Raikkonen for winning his first driver's championship. :bow:
Man, too bad Hamilton had that (I'm assuming) steering thing happen to him near the start of the race. It pretty much took him out of the race for 1st. Must have hurt even more that he was a lap down and right behind Raikkonen when he crossed the finish line.
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Congratulations to Raikkonen! I admit, I saw the chances of him slim indeed, but he pulled right though it and Masa graciously allowed his team mate to win.
I'm sure Hamilton must be cursing McClaren though. When you look back on it, just imaginie how important it would have been if he at least finished the race in Shanghai. He'd be the one on the top podium, not Raikkonen. Must be feeling really frustrated at the minute. Although it's not the fairytale the media was hoping for, there's always next year, and many more to come. Has to be said though, great season of F1!
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Well done and congratulations to Raikkonen. Gutted about Hamilton, but what a great first year. If Lewis was not going to win I am glad the Ice Man did it, at least Alonso did not win XD
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(http://img132.imageshack.us/img132/4539/7065fq6.jpg)
Congratulations, Kimi! :finland:
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Yep, Gongrats to Raikkonen! What a surprise. Unbelieveable that McLaren actually could screw the driver's championship after all. But again, we saw that in today's F1 championships are won by teamwork. And this year Ferrari got that a lot more than McLaren. Kimi should buy Massa couple of drinks :)
But this was a great season. The fight for the championship was tight till the end. After the season opening in Australia, everyone was sure that Raikkonen will take the championship with no problems. However, in the end his win was the biggest surprise after all.
I hope next year Renault will make a comeback to the top and we'll see three teams driving for the championship... I can't wait!
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KIMI's DA MAN !!!!
Yay for Ferrari 1-2 and most importantly, finally a driver's championship title under his belt for the iceman. He totally deserved it with his hot and exciting driving style from the mclaren days. The 1st turn was the deciding point of the whole championship IMO with Kimi overtaking Hamilton and then Alonso overtaking Hamilton as well from the outside.
From then on Hamilton's confidence looks broken as he ran out wide twice and with the mclaren cars not matching the ferraris, it was always going to be a ferrari 1-2. SWEET :D :D
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Interesting the contrast between ferrari and mclaren.
Masa totally supported kimi in this his home race after demonstrating he had the potential to be the faster of the two from the start. Lewis was racing his teammate when he didn't have to and it cost him.
So now there's a protest on fuel temperatures concerning some of the cars that finished ahead of hamilton though the stewards had decided there is no conclusive violation.
With the championship now hanging on that it will be interesting to see what lewis has to say about the protest as well as how he saved his rookie mistakes for the end of the season.
Ultimately I'll be happy to see kimi get the title. Hamilton was amazing and will be great to watch in the future. It would be nice to see alonso in a team where he's happy and not tainted by discussions of pilfered technical data. And with any luck another year will see masa with another strong shot at the championship himself.
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hamilton lost to himself and his innexperience. ron dennis put his coins in a youngster rathen than two times champion alonso. mclaren and specially HE paid for that. next season if alonso signs with renault again, we'll see renault and ferrari figthing for the title, not mclaren.
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This decision by McClaren to appeal against the fuel temperatures is crazy. I agree with Alonso, it would be embarrasing for Lewis to win in that fashion. And it wouldn't be fair to take the points off the BMW drivers, because how were they to know? Let's face it, Hamilton's 22, if he wants to he can have a long career ahead of him and I have no doubt he will win the Championship at one point, perhaps many times. For now, I'd just admit defeat, drop it for this season and start again next year.
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^^ Interesting point about the drivers.
We KNOW that alonso was involved in the spy scandal, yet it was only the constructors championship that was impacted as a penalty. So even if the bmw team got hit with a constructors penalty, the drivers could still retain their drivers points. Besides the stewards seemed justified in dismissing the issue at the time. Only if there is evidence bmw tried to do anything counter to the rules would there be a basis for the penalty. Is mclaren just clutching at anything they can or do they have some evidence? (Doubtful.)
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Mclaren is just what we normally call a sore loser.
If anybody tries to say Kimi won it because Hamilton commited mistakes bla bla bla, Alonso did what bla bla bla, I'll ask him to look at the No. of race wins (not podium) Kimi has compared to the rest.
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Hamilton admitted that he messed up with buttons of his car, causing him to lose 30 seconds and the world championship.
Well, at least he's honest. I'm not sure if everyone has guts to admit losing by a embarrassing mistake like that.
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I'm sure we've all heard the news but
Formula 1 will hold it's first ever night race in Singapore next year (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/6646125.stm)
The track will have to be illuminated up like crazy.
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i shall contribute with my pictures next year then :D
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^ So Singapore's been confirmed? Sweet! Always interesting to see new tracks. :thumbsup
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The track will have to be illuminated up like crazy.
They will have independent power generators as back up :D
I can't wait for next year, finally an international event in Singapore to light up our boring lives.
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http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2007/11/7062.html (http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2007/11/7062.html)
It is now official! Fernando Alonso leaves McLaren. Alonso probably goes to Renault, but McLaren has now a free driver seat!
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I heard of all places, Alonso was going to Red Bull :o Don't believe that will happen though. And he was always going to leave after this season anyway after all the Hamilton hype. So who could be Hamilton's 2nd fiddle now?
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Anyone saw WRC in Japan? So many top drivers failed to finish. Gronholm, Loeb, etc. Last two races are going to be very exiting..
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http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2007/11/7062.html (http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2007/11/7062.html)
It is now official! Fernando Alonso leaves McLaren. Alonso probably goes to Renault, but McLaren has now a free driver seat!
Well, that marriage didn't last. :lol:
I heard of all places, Alonso was going to Red Bull :o Don't believe that will happen though. And he was always going to leave after this season anyway after all the Hamilton hype. So who could be Hamilton's 2nd fiddle now?
Despite what a lot of people may think, I honestly don't believe that Hamilton had anything to do with his leaving McLaren. Alonso just never seemed as comfortable in their car and in their system compared to when he was at Renault, which is where I predict he's going to go. He and Flavio Briatorre got along really well when he was there.
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I gotta say, just this week I think fame is getting to Hamilton's head somewhat. Listen to what he had to say when he announced his move to 'tax haven' Switzerland:
"You lose your ability to go to places," he told The Daily Telegraph.
"You really struggle to live a normal life. It's been a really tough year. I've not been able to spend a lot of time with my friends, my family. You come home and everyone knows you, it makes it so much harder to do normal things."
Bless. I'd have more sympathy for him however if he wasn't complaining about being pestered at the same time as hawking 'Lewis Hamilton : My Story'. And isn't it just a tad hypocritical about complaining about this newfound fame preventing him from going to the toilet without someone asking for an autograph, and yet he has no problem using it to go to the MTV Music Awards and chat up Nicole Scherzinger? :roll:
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^ well he will learn things the hard way. AND i never liked his personality anyway AND i think he did play a part in Alonso leaving.
My advice is to follow Raikonnen. Just concentrate on driving and comment only when needed.
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I heard of all places, Alonso was going to Red Bull :o Don't believe that will happen though. And he was always going to leave after this season anyway after all the Hamilton hype. So who could be Hamilton's 2nd fiddle now?
Hamilton said that Rosberg, Kovalainen, and Sutil are the strongest candidates for McLaren. Spyker and Williams want to keep their drivers, so maybe Alonso and Kovalainen will change teams and Nelson Piquet Jr. gets the another seat in Renault.
Despite what a lot of people may think, I honestly don't believe that Hamilton had anything to do with his leaving McLaren. Alonso just never seemed as comfortable in their car and in their system compared to when he was at Renault, which is where I predict he's going to go. He and Flavio Briatorre got along really well when he was there.
I believe the why Alonso is leaving McLaren is not Hamilton, but Ron Dennis.
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(http://img291.imageshack.us/img291/5705/lowe6ss6.jpg)
NICE. Jimmie Johnson is your 2007 Nextel Champion (http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/news/story?seriesId=2&id=3117916).
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Loeb won the WRC for the 4th time in a row! *hooray*
(http://chello.images.infostradasports.com/images/lib/news/large/PRO_441586_SebastienLoeb.jpg)
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FIA had its annual gala on last friday, where Raikkonen, Loeb and others got their trophies of championship. This was the first time I've watched it, so I was a bit surprised how much they used the Iceman-theme with Raikkonen's entry to a stage. They had this "cool as ice"-song and a F1-car made of ice. I wonder what kind of themes they have used with previous champions... Or was this the first time?
Highlights:
[youtube=425,350]ZRDIxLj9wFk[/youtube]
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Double Formula One world champion Fernando Alonso will return to the Renault team next season.
Renault say the 26-year-old Spaniard, who left McLaren last month after a tempestuous season, has signed a two-year deal. (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/7136498.stm)
Ooh, could be interesting next season if Renault get a race winning car for him.
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Double Formula One world champion Fernando Alonso will return to the Renault team next season. (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/7136498.stm)
I was somewhat surprised at this part of the article:
Finn Heikki Kovalainen, who had an impressive rookie season with Renault in 2007, is expected to move to either McLaren, where he would partner Lewis Hamilton, or Toyota.
Considering how he did pretty well for himself in this debut season, I thought Renault would have kept him on board. It could work out for him in the end though, particularly if he lands a ride with McLaren.
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Considering how he did pretty well for himself in this debut season, I thought Renault would have kept him on board. It could work out for him in the end though, particularly if he lands a ride with McLaren.
I guess Piquet Jr. just brought so much more money for the team than Kovalainen. Eventhough Kovalainen might be one of the top-candidates for Hamilton's teammate, it's just logical that they let Pedro de la Rosa drive instead... After kicking Alonso out, they have to do something to keep the team's spanish sponsors happy.
Probably Kovalainen ends up driving Toyota. I just hope that it won't be a long contract.
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^ Yeah, it wouldn't surprise me if the sponsors played a part in bringing in Piquet Jr.
Oh well, it's the nature of the business after all.
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And McLaren confirmed that Kovalainen will drive for the team in 2008. I was so sure that they'll take Pedro de la Rosa or Gary Paffett. It's difficult to find any logical reason for McLaren to hire Kovalainen. Unless they really believe that he's fast. McLaren has history with Finnish drivers though, and the team's physician is Finnish... Maybe they asked him :D
A great opportunity for Kovalainen nevertheless, I hope he can challenge Hamilton and Ferraris next year!
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Tonight is the Race of Champions! Always a fun event.. who do you think will win?
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Germany took the Nations' cup... I guess Vettel was pretty solid, so probably he has a good chance to win...
I'm cheering for Kovalainen anyway :)
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The new Ferrari unveiled yesterday!
(http://img292.imageshack.us/img292/7421/89846co5.jpg)
Looks kinda cool. The nose looks better than McLaren's "bridge" last year.
Interesting to see how McLaren responds today(probably the same car painted in silver :D )
More pics of F2008 here (http://f1.gpupdate.net/en/gallery.php?catID=3224)
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Nice pics. It's interesting how they've tweaked the nosecone.
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Of course these cars are different from what we'll gonna see in Melbourne.
McLaren had it's new car's launch in Stuttgart today (photos (http://f1.gpupdate.net/en/gallery.php?catID=3223)).
Looks pretty much like the last car. I wonder why the don't have the "bridge" over the nose anymore... Maybe it'll have a comeback later.
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Anyone into WTCC? Talk about a bad start of the season for Chevrolet :doh:
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Williams has unveiled their entry for the 2008 season.
(http://img412.imageshack.us/img412/7951/93017ee5.jpg)
http://f1.gpupdate.net/en/news/2008/03/03/williams-presents-2008-livery/
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Black&Grey Williams :heart: :heart: :heart:
But it seems it's actually black&white, not grey :( Well it still looks good imo.
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So Hamilton's in Pole Position for the upcoming Australian race. Decent start. Looking forward to this F1 season.
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K, so the Australian GP has started, and the biggest thing for me so far...is how strange it is to see that Ross Braun is now the Team Principle at Honda. :lol:
EDIT:
Well, congrats to Hamilton on the opening day win, as well as to Heidfeld and Rosberg for their podium finishes. Crazy day of racing. Glock's car absolutely launched itself when he hit that bump in the grass, half of the racers didn't finish, and it's weird seeing the Vodafone logo on the McLaren instead of the Ferrari. :?
Looks like the drivers had really gotten used to having the electronic traction control helping them out. :P
Too bad for Bourdais, having his engine die on him with 2 laps to go. He was on pace for a Top 5 finish too.
Surprised that Rubens didn't get black-flagged for leaving pit lane on a red light. :O
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What a great race. Cool and controlling drive from Hamilton in the front all the way, real good weekend for him and McLaren.
All sorts of stuff going on behind him. Nightmare weekend for Ferrari?? Looks quick when Raikkonen can get it together, will be close for the rest of the year.
What a shame for Toro Rosso, Bourdais so nearly got a great finish.
But isn't it great to see all the cars sliding around with opposite lock, good rule changes to get rid of all the computer control stuff and leave it to the drivers. Great race to start the season.
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Fuck, totally forgot about today's race. By the time I remembered they were doing the post-race interviews.
1st - Raikkonen (1st win this year)
2nd - Kubica (Good for him and for BMW-Sauber.)
3rd - Kovaleinen (This is his first podium, is it not? Good for him.)
EDIT: Mistakenly put that this was Raikkonen's second win of the season. Oops. :P
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A great comeback for Ferrari in Malaysia. Well, at least for Raikkonen. Massa's performance was sad. He won't be any help for the team if he can't do better.
But what was it with McLaren... Wasting laps behind Trulli and Webber. If it's that hard to pass Toyota and Red Bull, it'll be a great season :)
3rd - Kovaleinen (This is his first podium, is it not? Good for him.)
He was second in Suzuka last year. Probably gonna win this year. Kubica and BMW too -I hope.
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Awesome news for me. Every year the Dutch Rally Championship comes through my village. To attract more visitors they are creating a Nascar track (with actual Nascars racing) between two roundabouts!! How insane is that XD and just a couple 100m away from my house!!
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Canadian Grand Prix was today, and congrats to Robert Kubica for his first ever win in F1 as well as to his BMW Sauber team for a 1-2 finish! Also props to DC for provin' that the older guys can STILL do it! :rockon:
http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2008/6/7900.html
Race highlights here
[youtube=425,350]gLYBUTJ-Loc[/youtube]
Aside from the Raikkonen/Hamilton crash, the highlight of the race for me has got to be when Massa pulled off that insane pass on the inside track of Kovaleinen at the infamous hairpin at Turn 10 in the final few laps. THAT took major balls!
:cool1:
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Quite a race, as could be expected with 4 teams in the top 4 quali positions.
Lewis blew it and I'd be surprised if he doesn't get penalized in fairness to kimi.
Alonso had a good run going for a while. Ferrari sure screwed things up with massa and kovaleinen didn't do much for mclaren (or the other way round?).
Kubica (and heidfeld) showed them all today how it's done. Nice to see dc have a good clean race.
The top two teams can't afford any mistakes, but they make them anyway! :-)
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Bah 10 places penalty only for Hami, which he could still probably score some points or even a podium finish if he drove decently for the next race.
UNFAIR, he should be banned for 1 game.
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Quite surprising seeing a pro driver like Hamilton do that. More like something I see in a Sainsbury's car park. Ironically, Lewis' dad crashed his car into a ditch earlier in the week :lol:
Nice to see Kubica win it. Or indeed anyone that isn't in McLaren/Ferrari for a change.
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Well at least Hamilton's amateurish mistake made the championship fight a way more interesting. Kubica leading in points, who would have guessed that. BMW needs to take the final leap in the development of their car that they can seriously challenge McLarens and Ferraris at the end of the season.
Kubica earned his first GP win, as did BMW. I'm a bit sorry for Heidfeld though, having driven almost his entire career for Sauber and BMW, Kubica takes the glory before him.
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Le Mans wasn't really interesting this year.. Peugot did pretty good, i think they'll be able to beat Audi eventually.
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Kanaan trying to adjust after most recent driver shakeup at Andretti Green
The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Except maybe at Andretti Green Racing.
The IndyCar Series team co-owned by Michael Andretti, Kim Green and Kevin Savoree is fielding its fourth different driver lineup in the past four years, and to the outside world, it appears the chemistry and camaraderie that were the team's longtime calling card have gone up in smoke.
The odd man out increasingly looks like Tony Kanaan, who was Andretti's personal choice to anchor AGR when he took an ownership interest in Team Green and shifted the renamed team from the CART championship into the IndyCar Series prior to the 2003 season. (http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/racing/indycar/columns/story?columnist=oreovicz_john&id=3435942)
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^
I'm still surprised that Herta left to go do the LeMans series and that Franchitti left to do NASCAR, considering how well they had been doing (particularly) over the last couple of seasons. TK's blowups at Marco (at least, IMO) were rather justified, given the incidents in question and Marco's inexperience. Sure he might be racing for his father's team, but that doesn't/shouldn't mean that he has a guaranteed ride. Marco has to work just has hard, if not harder (considering the circumstances) to be a good, SMART racecar driver. TK should still be the "go to" guy for AGR, IMO. He's the only one there with a proven, winning track record.
EDIT: Le Mans wasn't really interesting this year.. Peugot did pretty good, i think they'll be able to beat Audi eventually.
Yeah, close but no cigar for Jacques Villeneuve, who was trying to become one of the few drivers to get a "triple crown" (i.e. winning an F1 championship, the Indy 500, and the 24-Hr LeMans). He would have only been the 3rd driver to do so, I hear.
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Second man dies after being hit by truck outside NHRA race in Kansas
MUSKOGEE, Okla. -- A Muskogee man who was struck by a pickup truck outside an NHRA race in Kansas has died.
Kristi Pankratz, a spokeswoman for the Topeka, Kan., police, confirmed Tuesday that James C. "J.J." Jenkins, 52, was the second person to die from injuries sustained when a truck hit several pedestrians who were walking back to their car following the NHRA Summer Nationals in Topeka on June 1.
Jenkins' wife, Joy, told the Muskogee Phoenix her husband suffered a major brain stem stroke Saturday and died at the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City, Kan.
Judy Brewster, 55, of Muskogee, died at a Kansas hospital shortly after the accident.
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In a word, Mr. Versatility Jeg Coughlin Jr. is simply 'amazing'
ESPN.com recently conducted a poll amongst a select group of motorsports journalists and personalities to determine who should be included on the list of the 25 greatest race car drivers of all time.
The racer who was named No. 1 was -- not surprisingly -- A.J. Foyt, and the reason given most frequently for his first-place finish was his uncanny ability to win in a variety of machines and in a plethora of major league racing venues. To almost all of those responding to the poll, possessing the talent necessary to be victorious in just about any vehicle on wheels put A.J. miles ahead of his peers.
NHRA POWERade drag racing has its equivalent.
Jeg Coughlin Jr. has won three Pro Stock championships, the most recent last year, and an NHRA sportsman title in the Super Gas category in 1992. Those credentials all by themselves would be sensational by any method of measurement, but Coughlin's driving achievements -- and the manner in which he has accomplished them -- are without question the stuff of legends. (http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/racing/nhra/columns/story?columnist=stephens_bill&id=3450672)
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Bourdais comfortable with rookie role as home French GP set
MAGNY-COURS, France -- Sebastien Bourdais has no chance of winning his home Grand Prix of France this weekend.
Possible winners are, of course, the Ferrari duo of Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa as well as Vodafone McLaren Mercedes teammates Lewis Hamilton and Heikki Kovalainen. As Robert Kubica proved in Canada, he and BMW Sauber teammate Nick Heidfeld have a shot at victory as well.
Wild-card winners include Fernando Alonso in his Renault, Nico Rosberg in his Williams Toyota and Mark Webber or David Coulthard in their Red Bull Renaults.
But Bourdais in a Toro Rosso Ferrari? At most, he can hope for a point or two if he can finish in the top eight. (http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/racing/f1/columns/story?columnist=knutson_dan&id=3452195)
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^
Yeah, Toro Rosso's still a fairly inexperienced team compared to the likes of Ferarri, McLaren, Renault and Williams. Combine that with the fact that Bourdais is still a rookie on the F1 circuit, and yeah, expecting a win is a bit much.
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Iowa crashfest of 2007 could be turned up a notch with more cars on the track
This weekend's Iowa Corn Indy 250 could potentially be summed up as a big traffic jam on a small track.
Barring an incident in practice or qualifying, 27 cars will line up Sunday afternoon (1:00 p.m. ET, ABC) on the second-shortest track on the IndyCar Series schedule. Measuring just under 0.9 mile, Iowa Speedway is undercut only by Richmond International Raceway in terms of length and lap time.
Last year, the inaugural IndyCar race at Iowa Speedway turned into a wreckfest -- and that was with only 19 entries. The track looked like a bullring, but the drivers were able to run flat-out. In other words, it raced like a superspeedway and a number of factors combined to make passing nearly impossible. When desperation ensued -- especially on restarts -- tempers flared and cars came together. (http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/racing/indycar/columns/story?columnist=oreovicz_john&id=3452732)
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Massa's practice time beats race lap record at French Grand Prix
MAGNY-COURS, France -- Ferrari's Felipe Massa set the pace in free practice for the French Grand Prix on Friday with a time inside the circuit's race lap record.
The Brazilian, who started on the pole at Magny-Cours last year but has yet to win in France, lapped fastest in the morning with a time of 1 minute, 15.306 seconds.
Renault's Fernando Alonso, preparing for the car company's home race on Sunday, topped the timesheets in the afternoon with a lap of 1:15.778. Massa was second, a mere 0.076 seconds slower. (http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/racing/f1/news/story?id=3453773)
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F1 drivers angry about fee increase, but not talking about strike
MAGNY COURS, France -- Formula One drivers are angry about a large license fee hike, but dismissed suggestions that they would strike at the upcoming British Grand Prix.
Governing body FIA has increased the fee drivers have to pay by more than 400 percent this year, leading to reports Friday that drivers were considering a strike. However, Grand Prix Drivers' Association chairman Pedro de la Rosa said Saturday that such a measure had never been discussed.
"One thing that is clear is that we never suggested a strike," De la Rosa told The Associated Press. "We're just not happy about the way it was implemented. All of this talk of strike has just been rumors." (http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/racing/f1/news/story?id=3455212)
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Wheldon celebrates birthday victory, then donates winnings to Iowa flood relief
NEWTON, Iowa -- Sunday was Dan Wheldon's 30th birthday. His rivals provided plenty of gifts.
Under glorious sunny skies at Iowa Speedway, Scott Dixon had a rare off day (he finished fourth), Tony Kanaan crashed, and Helio Castroneves faded.
And the rest of the IndyCar field, led by rookie Hideki Mutoh, simply didn't have the speed to beat Wheldon. It all added up to victory in the second running of the Iowa Corn Indy 250, Wheldon's second win of the season and the fifth for Target Chip Ganassi Racing in 2008. (http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/racing/indycar/columns/story?columnist=oreovicz_john&id=3456264)
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^
That's a classy move by Wheldon. :thumbsup
Fuck, I totally forgot about the French GP today. :o
That fee increase is completely outrageous. An increase that large should never have been made without at least waiting for a chance to directly discuss it with the GPDA.
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Ex-champ Stewart says FIA holds myopic view toward F1 drivers
PARIS -- Former champion Jackie Stewart has accused Formula One's governing body of being too hard on drivers and of singling out McLaren for punishment.
"We've seen a rash of penalties handed out by the FIA recently, both in the form of grid penalties and in fines," the Scot said on the Web site of Williams sponsor RBS on Monday.
"There rarely seems to be any compassion or any real attempt to see the driver's side. (http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/racing/f1/news/story?id=3456958)
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Hight's tribute to Kalitta a moment to remember
ENGLISHTOWN, N.J. -- It is a most eerie and spine-tingling experience to watch something unfold before 30,000 drag racing fans that renders each and every one of them speechless.
And so it was as memorable a moment as ever witnessed in NHRA POWERade drag racing when on Sunday, Robert Hight, aboard his John Force-owned AAA Ford Mustang, rolled to the starting line in the opening round of eliminations at the 39th Lucas Oil SuperNationals at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park. (http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/racing/nhra/columns/story?columnist=stephens_bill&id=3455766)
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Kovalainen's penalty for blocking Webber sure is a bit questionable, especially because Webber made it to the next round anyway.
However, Hamilton's penalty for cutting a chicane was a right decision imo. Before the race, stewards had already pointed out that cutting the corner would cause penalty.
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However, Hamilton's penalty for cutting a chicane was a right decision imo.
Also, that was a pass he could not have made without leaving the course!
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Ecclestone denies breakaway plans; new feeder series planned
PARIS -- Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone downplayed on Wednesday the possibility that Formula One could break away from the series' governing body.
"I don't know anything about a breakaway championship to be honest with you, nobody's ever talked about one," Ecclestone said after what he said was a "good" meeting of the World Motor Sport Council. (http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/racing/f1/news/story?id=3460219)
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With Dixon and Wheldon hitting the books, Target/Chip Ganassi gets an 'A'
It's a bit of a challenge to figure out just how many races are on this year's IndyCar Series schedule.
2008 started with a 16-race IndyCar slate, but the demise of the Champ Car World Series and its subsequent integration into the IndyCar Series resulted in the Champ Car Grand Prix of Long Beach counting as a points race in the IndyCar Series championship. That makes 17. (http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/racing/indycar/columns/story?columnist=oreovicz_john&id=3457813)
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Danica back in the news, but spotlight shifts to Richmond
What was generally a big week for the IndyCar Series draws to a close Saturday night on its smallest track.
The SunTrust Indy Challenge at Richmond International Raceway (8 p.m. ET, ESPN) will put the focus back on the racing action after the past few days were dominated by talk of the series' future engine formula and -- surprise! -- Danica Patrick. (http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/racing/indycar/columns/story?columnist=oreovicz_john&id=3462894)
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Herbert dedicates first Top Fuel win of season to two late sons
NORWALK, Ohio -- Doug Herbert raced to an emotional Top Fuel victory Sunday at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals, a win he dedicated to the memory of his two young sons who were killed in a highway auto accident in January. (http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/racing/nhra/news/story?id=3466542)
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Hamilton looking forward to home GP despite rumblings
SILVERSTONE, England -- At the British Grand Prix a year ago Lewis Hamilton could do no wrong. A year ago he was the darling of the British fans and the British media.
The fans still adore him, but his relationship with the media has been a bit pricklier of late. (http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/racing/f1/columns/story?columnist=knutson_dan&id=3472665)
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A rainy day in Britain? In the summer?! No it can't be! :lol:
Easy win for Hamilton, of course McClaren learned their mistake from China last season. Best thing about the win is the state of the Championship. Hamilton, Maasa and Raikkonen on joint 1st with 48 points, Kubica with 46. Good to see it's not just one horse race right now.
Hamilton looking forward to home GP despite rumblings
SILVERSTONE, England -- At the British Grand Prix a year ago Lewis Hamilton could do no wrong. A year ago he was the darling of the British fans and the British media.
The fans still adore him, but his relationship with the media has been a bit pricklier of late. (http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/racing/f1/columns/story?columnist=knutson_dan&id=3472665)
I'm a bit undecided over Hamilton. Yes he makes mistakes and lately the media's concentrated more on his celebrity lifestyle, whether or not he's dating Nicole Scherzinger and the mistakes he's picked up over the course of this season so far which admittedly, he refuses to accept responsibility for. But from what I've seen he seems like a nice enough guy just wanting to win races which I can't really find fault with. I think like many, I don't want to see Hamilton become more focused on activities off track as opposed to on it.
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SWEET, glad I didn't miss the Edmonton Indy that rolled into town yesterday. Place was packed, few guys got off to a rough start like Graham Rahal and his Oilers/Rexall car. That Japanese guy Hideki Mutoh totally wiped out into the wall.
Caught a glimpse of The Danica!! nice tight butt :wub:
http://www.youtube.com/v/SCHw9EjnqGw
a few sights.
(http://s2d2.turboimagehost.com/t/565302_DSC04066.JPG) (http://www.turboimagehost.com/p/565302/DSC04066.JPG.html) (http://s2d2.turboimagehost.com/t/565303_DSC04080.JPG) (http://www.turboimagehost.com/p/565303/DSC04080.JPG.html)
Here's Bobby Rahal on his bike,
(http://s2d2.turboimagehost.com/t/565304_DSC04082.JPG) (http://www.turboimagehost.com/p/565304/DSC04082.JPG.html)
in a tent waiting for Gene Simmons
(http://s2d2.turboimagehost.com/t/565306_DSC04111.JPG) (http://www.turboimagehost.com/p/565306/DSC04111.JPG.html)
The winner! Scott Dixon! Another solid event, can't wait for 2008 when shit gets properly promoted
(http://s2d2.turboimagehost.com/t/565311_DSC04144.JPG) (http://www.turboimagehost.com/p/565311/DSC04144.JPG.html)
Big ups to Paul Tracy and his subway car. He finished 4th and has new life in the racing world :canada:
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You lucky fucker, getting to go on the tarmac with the racers.
/me shakes fist at dai.
Nice to see that Tracy got a ride. It would have sucked if he had been forced to sit out this year.
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Kovalainen takes first F1 race after Massa bows out
BUDAPEST, Hungary -- McLaren driver Heikki Kovalainen won his first Formula One race Sunday after an engine problem forced Felipe Massa out of the Hungarian Grand Prix with three laps to go.
Massa overtook Kovalainen and pole sitter Lewis Hamilton at the start and was heading for his fourth win of the season after Hamilton dropped out of contention with a tire puncture. But the Brazilian's Ferrari engine overheated toward the end and Kovalainen took an 11-second victory over Timo Glock of Toyota. (http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/racing/f1/news/story?id=3517158)
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Damn Maasa!!
Who is Mika Kagoshima / 神子島 みか? A real driver or an idol who poses with racing gear :lol:
http://ms-ex.net/driver/archives/269
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxzRSmhDzPM
Here's the pictures from Sabra I posted in Ladies Loving Forum:
http://forum.jphip.com/index.php?topic=155.msg501534#msg501534
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^
Looks like it might be one of those "model by day, driver by night" type of deals with her.
OFFICIAL SITE - http://www.mika-kagoshima.com
OFFICIAL BLOG - http://ameblo.jp/pink-princess-mika/
English Blog entry about her - http://patrickmacias.blogs.com/er/2008/02/mika-kagoshima.html
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Hey it's time for Valencia GP tomorrow! The new track seems to be quite interesting: It's a street circuit, but very fast. I couldn't watch the qualifying earlier today, so no comments on that.
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I heard that after F1 officials inspected the track, they ordered that a new layer of asphalt be laid. Safety concerns maybe?
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Penske's 1-2 finish at Sonoma was no ordinary show of dominance
SONOMA, Calif. -- Roger Penske has used the slogan "Effort Equals Results" as a motivational tool for his racing teams and his many other business interests for nearly 40 years.
The effort that his IndyCar team put forth over the past week was way above and beyond the usual high standard exhibited by American open-wheel racing's most successful team. (http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/racing/indycar/columns/story?columnist=oreovicz_john&id=3552713)
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McLaren, Hamilton heard at hearing; decision expected Tuesday
PARIS -- Lewis Hamilton and his McLaren bosses made their case at a hearing Monday in an effort to get back the driver's Belgian Grand Prix victory.
"I think it went well," McLaren chief executive Martin Whitmarsh told The Associated Press after the daylong hearing at Formula One headquarters. "It's now up to the International Court of Appeal. But I think they're confident of our facts."
A decision was expected Tuesday.
The hearing followed the McLaren team's appeal of a 25-second time penalty given to Hamilton at Spa earlier this month when the British driver was judged to have gained an advantage by cutting a chicane on his way to victory.
After the penalty, the win was awarded to Hamilton's main championship rival, Felipe Massa of Ferrari, while Hamilton was bumped down to third. Hamilton's lead over Massa in the drivers' standings is now down to one point after last weekend's Italian GP.
"Based on the evidence we saw at the time, and from subsequent analysis, we believe any advantage was ceded, and therefore it's even more reason to get those points back," Whitmarsh said.
Three judges appointed to the International Court of Appeal will decide whether McLaren's appeal is justified. The judges must decide if Hamilton sufficiently surrendered the advantage he had gained when cutting the chicane.
If he wins the appeal, Hamilton's F1 championship lead will be increased to seven points with four races to go after he regains four points and Massa loses two.
At Monday's hearing, lawyers for McLaren, Ferrari and FIA presented their arguments at the morning session. In the afternoon, Hamilton was asked to give his point of view.
"I think for Lewis, he'd rather be doing other things than sitting around in a court for the day but I think he did a great job," Whitmarsh said.
Hamilton did not speak to reporters after the hearing, heading straight for his car when he left FIA headquarters.
Hamilton flies to Singapore on Tuesday for F1's first-ever night race Sunday.
Hamilton was dueling with Massa teammate Kimi Raikonnen at the closing stages of the Belgian GP and cut across the Bus Stop chicane to overtake the Finnish driver. Hamilton immediately allowed Raikonnen to reclaim the lead before overtaking him at the next corner for the eventual win.
------------------------------------------------
On a personal note, I'm glad I have the Speed Channel now, so I can watch some of these races now.
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And from speedtv.com:
"As expected, the FIA has rejected McLaren's appeal against the penalty imposed on Lewis Hamilton following the Belgian Grand Prix on the grounds that the 25 seconds added to the Brit’s race time were effectively a drive-through penalty, which is not subject to appealing."
So the penalty stands.
I think the clarification given since the race is good, that they have to give up the position and not retake until after the next turn.
Though hamilton held back at spa before passing, it did look like he was still better off than had he not cut the corner even if he did it to avoid a crash.
Pity it played out in such a messy fashion when it has championship influencing consequences.
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IMO the problem is that nowadays there's always tarmac outside the track. So it's faster to cut a chicane, when we have these situations like Hamilton. Going outside the track should slower the car, so cutting a corner was a penalty itself.
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I'm watching the F1 practice for the Singapore Grand Prix on the Speed channel right now.
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Recorded the singapore practice and am now watching.
Silly me. Night race means night practice and night qualifying as well!
Looks neat, kinda like something out of gran turisimo. I think I prefer this circuit greatly to the other new street circuit, Valencia, which just didn't look so great. The surrounding area there looked as uncharming as the los angeles harbor does.
Of course there's the typical problem of not having runoff room as mark webber already found. And if it rains, well....
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Hamilton edges Massa with quickest lap time in Singapore
SINGAPORE -- In the first Formula One race to be held at night, McLaren's Lewis Hamilton set the fastest time in practice under the lights Friday ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix.
Hamilton clocked 1 minute, 45.518 seconds around the downtown street circuit Friday, edging championship rival Felipe Massa of Ferrari.
Fernando Alonso of Renault had the best lap in the second session to be third-fastest overall, ahead of Finnish duo Heikki Kovalainen of McLaren and Kimi Raikkonen of Ferrari. (http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/racing/f1/news/story?id=3610734)
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Ohhh so THAT's the grand prix thing that Suki got free tickets for today ^o^
/me is clueless about racing
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Pretty good race today. Shame Raikkonen crashed in the final laps but the race was nothing if not eventful. Great to see the city all lit up when the camera pulled out for a wide shot.
But really, that's the only track where it should be raced at night. If you raced at night in say Silverstone, it's just not as effective, but with the city backdrop of Singapore it provides a nice novelty and change of pace if anything.
Anyone see the celebrations from Renault though? :lol: One guy got way over-excited and tried to grab the champagne bottle from Alonso at the platform and when it fell, it fell hard and he went sprawling to the ground trying to get a hold of it. He laughed it off then tried to soak the team with champage, only to find there was nothing left :lol: :lol:
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Dammit. That's another one I missed. :banghead:
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I was there :)
Nothing eventful, no overtaking manoeuvre. Sad to see ferrari self destruct themselves when they should have scored valuable points. :bleed eyes:
I am beginning to hate G.Pique for creating that period of safety car which resulted in the mistakes. :tama-mad:
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I am beginning to hate G.Pique for creating that period of safety car which resulted in the mistakes. :tama-mad:
Well, I'm beginning to love Piquet for turning the boring Grand Prix to greatness. It's the same thing with all the street circuits, passing is impossible, but some relatively small misfortune can shuffle the results to something completely unexpected. And that I like.
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Well, I'm beginning to love Piquet for turning the boring Grand Prix to greatness. It's the same thing with all the street circuits, passing is impossible, but some relatively small misfortune can shuffle the results to something completely unexpected. And that I like.
I do like happenings in F1 as well as they add to the unpredictability and excitement :shocked:
But not when it happens to the team you support :bleed eyes:
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F1 safety car rule deemed 'humiliating'; McLaren exec expects change
BANGKOK, Thailand -- Ferrari and McLaren have attacked the safety car rule that decided last weekend's Singapore Grand Prix, describing it as "humiliating" and "hopelessly wrong" for Formula One.
Fernando Alonso won his first race for Renault because he pitting before the safety car emerged a third of the way into the grand prix. It enabled him to tack onto the back of the field under safety car conditions and then go to the front when other drivers pitted when the pit lane was reopened.
McLaren chief executive Martin Whitmarsh expects the Singapore events to prompt a change in the rules relating to when drivers can pit under safety car conditions. (http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/racing/f1/news/story?id=3618952)
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While I can understand the point being made, other people would simply say that Alonso, like any good driver would, saw the situation and made it work to his advantage.
I seriously doubt McLaren would be raising this much of a stink if Alonso was still driving for them.
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Castroneves, sister indicted on tax charges
MIAMI -- Helio Castroneves and his sister were indicted Thursday in Miami on charges of conspiring to defraud the United States of income taxes, prosecutors said.
The two-time Indianapolis 500 winner and his sister, Katiucia Castroneves, were also charged with six counts of income tax evasion for the years 1999 through 2004.
The indictment alleged they used a Panamanian shell corporation to fraudulently conceal from the Internal Revenue Service income received from Penske Racing and another company.
Castroneves, 33, lives in the Miami suburb of Coral Gables.
He won fame outside the auto racing world last year when he beat out English pop singer Melanie Brown to win "Dancing with the Stars," in which celebrities compete in ballroom dancing contests.
Castroneves was paired on the show with professional dancer Julianne Hough.
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Rosberg, Nakajima to stay with Williams; Hulkenberg to test drive
LONDON -- Nico Rosberg and Kazuki Nakajima will again drive for Williams next year and Nico Hulkenberg will test drive for the Formula One team.
"I am delighted we are able to maintain continuity with our drivers going into 2009," team principal Frank Williams said Wednesday. "Nico Rosberg continues to be one of the most capable drivers in the sport. Kazuki is getting stronger all the time and has more to offer and Nico Hulkenberg is developing well."
Rosberg, driving for Williams since 2006, celebrated a career-best second place last weekend in the Singapore Grand Prix. It was his second career podium after a third at the season-opening Australian GP. He finished 17th overall in 2006, ninth last year, and is 12th in the current championship with 17 points.
Nakajima made his F1 debut in the last race of 2007 and has earned points in four of the 15 races this year. He's 15th with nine points.
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WEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAK! :angry:
Canadian Grand Prix dropped from 2009 calendar
Updated Tue. Oct. 7 2008 1:48 PM ET
- CTV.ca News Staff
The Canadian Grand Prix, which is held annually in Montreal, has been removed from the 2009 Formula One calendar.
The race, which was first held in Canada in 1967, takes place every summer in Montreal, generating tens of millions in revenue for the city. (http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20081007/grand_prix_081007/20081007?hub=CTVNewsAt11)
Canadian Grand Prix promoter says only government can save F1 race
Tue. Oct. 7 2008
MONTREAL — It is up to government if the cancelled Canadian Grand Prix is to be revived.
A spokesman for race promoter Normand Legault said Wednesday that government bodies were already looking at ways to bring back the annual race at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve that was abruptly dropped from the Formula One calendar this week. (http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5iAAVzO8zPu44oAeNLyZPvZrvhGOw)
Normally the thought of a movement to save the event would be promising. However...it's dependant on the Canadian government, so I'm not holding my breath. :(
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I had no love for the track at indianapolis and montreal had nothing too special (unless you liked the wall at the last turn that ate cars for lunch), but to not have any race in north america at all....
CART's disintegration left long beach without a race. I wonder how hard it would be to fashion a track there to current f1 standards. I haven't been to a race there since the circuit modifications a few years ago, but it was a pretty neat venue.
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montreal had nothing too special
Indeed, there was nothing special about Circuit Gilles Villeneuve...aside from the fact that most F1 drivers have said that it's one of the most difficult and abusive tracks for engines, transmissions, and brakes and that they'd have to adjust their normal driving styles to keep their cars from blowing up on them.
:roll:
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How can they take off canada from the calender? That is such a historic circuit with the champions wall!!
I guess they are really shifting their focus to the asia now since there is where the $$ is.
Anyway i can't wait for the Fuji grand prix, it's almost a do or die for the ferrari team with 3 races to go. And they have switched back to lollipop system for the pitting. I hope being the local favourites in Japan will spur them to finish 1-2.
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Ferrari taking the top two slots would be interesting. In that case, if kimi were to win massa might find it a bit too interesting. :-)
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Japanese Grand Prix just about to start on the Speed Channel.
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Bit of a mess in the opening moments of the race. Props to Alonso for back-to-back wins.
I found it funny how near the end of the race, the announcers on the feed I was watching kept going on and on about how Massa can still win the driver's championship. All that has to happen is a Ferrari 1-2 finish in both of the final two races of the season. Yeah, that's all that has to happen. :lol:
Oh, and during the post-race interviews, I would NOT have known that that was Kubica if they didn't have his name plate thing on the table in front of him. The pronstache look is not good for him. :P
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It was a very exciting race, and its good to see Alonso doing well again. I thought it was a bit unfair that Massa and Hamilton got the same penalty seeing as Raikkonen lost a few places because he was off the track whereas Hamilton had to let all the cars through and dropped to last place because of Massa spinning him! Also they showed a shot of the Ferrari people cheering after the incident, I expect this type of thing in BTCC, but not F1!
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Alonso wins Japanese Grand Prix; Hamilton's lead shrinks after wreck on Lap 2
OYAMA, Japan -- Fernando Alonso won Sunday's Japanese Grand Prix for a victory that was almost a sideshow to a breathless race that provided another twist in the title fight.
While the rejuvenated Spaniard made it back-to-back wins in his Renault, the race's history of season-defining incidents between title rivals gained a new chapter when Lewis Hamilton and Felipe Massa tangled in a memorable second-lap collision. (http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/racing/f1/news/story?id=3639058)
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Champ Car-IndyCar merger beefed up car numbers, series credibility
It has been nearly eight months since Indy Racing League founder Tony George and Champ Car World Series leader Kevin Kalkhoven smiled, shook hands and announced the end of the war for control of American open-wheel formula car racing.
Champ Car ran one more race for contractual reasons and then quietly disappeared, leaving half its teams to join the former rival IndyCar Series. Despite lucrative financial incentives from George, a few remaining teams could not -- or would not -- make the transition, because of financial difficulty (Derrick Walker) or sheer obstinacy (Gerald Forsythe).
Since then, the IndyCar Series staged a 16-race championship, won in typically thrilling fashion by Scott Dixon. And the yearlong celebration of unification impressed George, the man who made it happen. (http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/racing/indycar/columns/story?columnist=oreovicz_john&id=3638896)
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^ I was unimpressed.
The tv coverage of the last cart race at lb was horrid. No, make that nonexistent by the end when all they did was chat with dp. Would have been better to just engage in some dp.
It wasn't so much a merger as cart just plain folded and some of the teams took up irl.
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Well now everyone is attacking Hamilton for his antics on the track.
I personally hope he would never win a championship trophy ever.
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So with a win this past Sunday in Shanghai, and only a single race left in the season, the only way for Hamilton to NOT win the F1 Driver's Championship would be to have a DNF, or otherwise really lousy finish in Brazil. The only real challenger now is Maasa, who would still have to win the race to even have a shot at it, as Kubica is pretty much mathematically eliminated.
Even without the championship, I'd have to say that Kubica has got to be one of, if not the leading candidate for driver of the year. The guy has been much more solid/consistent than practically anyone else in F1 this year.
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Next year could be really interesting if the upward trends continue for kubica with bmw and alonso if he stays at renault. Especially if ferrari and mclaren accelerate their contest to see who can throw the championship away. :-)
Miki should take a break from enka to be a racequeen at the fuji circuit.
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I can't see Hamilton messing it up again, and he could be the first British champion for 12 years since Damon Hill in 1996 :P
I think if they draw on points, the old rules were the person with the most GP wins gets put ahead;
Hamilton: 5 (Australia, Monaco, Great Britain, Germany, China)
Massa: 5 (Bahrain, Turkey, France, Europe, Belgium)
LH : 94 pts
FM : 87 pts (-7pts)
So if Massa wins, and Hamilton comes 7th or lower, Massa is champion. If Massa wins and Hamilton is 6th, then they draw on points, but I think Massa will be champion with 1 more win.
If Massa comes 2nd and Hamilton doesn't score then he is champion, but if Hamilton finishes 8th, then they will draw and I have no idea who wins. It might go down to most 2nd places!!
3rd or lower, makes Hamilton champion.
Driver of the Year has to be between Kubica, came from nowhere and is only a few point off the pace. If BMW spend their spare time helping him and not Heidfeld then he may have won?? Being a RBR fan, Vettel has done very well in the second half of the season, also winning a race for Toro Rosso. Considering Bourdais has 4 pts and Vettel has 30 in the same car!
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Alonso, F1 denounce racist Web site messages against Hamilton
SAO PAULO, Brazil -- Two-time world champion Fernando Alonso and Formula One officials scorned a Spanish Web site's racist messages against championship leader Lewis Hamilton.
"I want to express my total condemnation of this kind of behavior, which is totally unacceptable in the world of sports, as well as in life," Alonso, a Spaniard, said after practice on Friday.
The Web site asks visitors to place virtual pins, nails and porcupines on a computer version of the Interlagos track to try to keep F1's first black driver from finishing Sunday's decisive race.
Visitors are also invited to "leave a message to Hamilton," and many of them are full of racism and obscenities. (http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/racing/f1/news/story?id=3675974)
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Alonso, F1 denounce racist Web site messages against Hamilton
SAO PAULO, Brazil -- Two-time world champion Fernando Alonso and Formula One officials scorned a Spanish Web site's racist messages against championship leader Lewis Hamilton.
"I want to express my total condemnation of this kind of behavior, which is totally unacceptable in the world of sports, as well as in life," Alonso, a Spaniard, said after practice on Friday.
The Web site asks visitors to place virtual pins, nails and porcupines on a computer version of the Interlagos track to try to keep F1's first black driver from finishing Sunday's decisive race.
Visitors are also invited to "leave a message to Hamilton," and many of them are full of racism and obscenities. (http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/racing/f1/news/story?id=3675974)
That is pretty bad, but the Spanish are kinf of know for their racist ways ...
Qualifying;
1. Felipe Massa (Brz) Ferrari 1min 12.368secs
2. Jarno Trulli (Ita) Toyota 1:12.737
3. Kimi Raikkonen (Fin Ferrari 1:12.825
4. Lewis Hamilton (GB) McLaren-Mercedes 1:12.830
5. Heikki Kovalainen (Fin) McLaren-Mercedes 1:12.917
6. Fernando Alonso (Spn) Renault 1:12.967
7. Sebastian Vettel (Ger) Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1:13.082
8. Nick Heidfeld (Ger) BMW Sauber 1:13.297
9. Sebastien Bourdais (Fra) Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1:14.105
10. Timo Glock (Ger) Toyota 1:14.230
11. Nelson Piquet (Brz) Renault 1:12.137
12. Mark Webber (Aus) Red Bull-Renault 1:12.289
13. Robert Kubica (Pol) BMW Sauber 1:12.300
14. David Coulthard (GB) Red Bull-Renault 1:12.717
15. Rubens Barrichello (Brz) Honda 1:13.139
16. Kazuki Nakajima (Jpn) Williams-Toyota 1:12.800
17. Jenson Button (GB) Honda 1:12.810
18. Nico Rosberg (Ger) Williams-Toyota 1:13.002
19. Giancarlo Fisichella (Ita) Force India-Ferrari 1:13.426
20. Adrian Sutil (Ger) Force India-Ferrari 1:13.508
Could they make it more tense?? Kimi's job is to hold up Hamilton no doubt, and Kovalainen's job is to hold up everyone else:P
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Fantastic race, fantastic ending.
I'm sad that ferrari couldn't get the WDC but we totally deserved the WCC since we have the better cars overall. We just missed a bit of luck here and there. It's just sad that glock couldn't make it till the end.
I wished i knew what Massa said in Brazil at the press conference.
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Fuck me what an ending to the Championship. :o :o What do you guys think, is Hamilton a deserving winner?
Ferrar1: Maasa said that he was proud of the result in his country, of the teams performance and he's full of mixed emotions with Hamilton's win.
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It's rather a pity with the championship so close that one has to be declared a winner over the other.
Just the fact that glock's last couple turns made the difference shows there wasn't a significant one.
Both teams and both drivers showed considerable brilliance and some amazing lapses. It was almost like a contest to see who could set the lapse record. :-)
That maasa came so close is impressive given his teammate was the reigning champ. Rubens never managed it with schumi.
And hamilton came awfully close to showing consistency with the end of last season.
Anyway, I don't think I could stand to watch if every race were as charged as this one!
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Kimi was champion last year by 1 point, and Hamilton won this year by 1 point - who would have thought it? Just to think if the rain held off for 30 seconds longer than Massa would be champion! Amazingly entertaining start and end to the race.
Can't wait to see Vettel make the move to Red Bull next year, shame about Coulthard though :cry:
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What a great race and an ending for the great season!
Being that dominant before, I was little surprised that it was only a one point marginal afterall. However, Hamilton deserved the championship. Losing again would've been devastating for him.
Anyway, this was a great season, eventhough for my number-one-favorite, Raikkonen, it was one of his worst. Still, there was seven different GP winners this season and three championship leaders.
This season was anything but boring, and I hope the changes for 2009 will continue this very likeable trend in Formula 1.
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I think this is the biggest change in rules and regulations ever. Almost all the things that change very slightly every few years, are being completely changed. New tyre rules, engine rules and sizes, the cars will have some sort of hybrid boost system for overtaking (or something like that! I heard them mention it during the last race) etc. It should make things even more competitive.
Also the first race next season is at a new track in the UAE. Again I only found this out last race because it was a competition, and I only just realised Ferrari are already being sponsored by a company in Abu Dhabi!
(http://cache.boston.com/resize/bonzai-fba/Globe_Photo/2008/08/23/1219534209_6023/539w.jpg)
Bernie likes the money from the oil rich countries :lol: but does nothing to save the British GP :( Living 10 minutes away from Silverstone doesn't make it any less of a crap-hole....
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Thinking back, schumacher often had lackluster races at the end of the season, sometimes not managing to pull it together for the title, other times doing just what was needed. Lewis is doing the same. :-)
In the long run the fia are looking to standardize a lot of the components while leaving the kers braking system as a differentiator. I'm not sure that was their grand plan but it's how things are shaping up. Could be interesting.
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Loyal fan cashes in £125,000 after Hamilton F1 bet
LONDON (AFP) – A fan of Lewis Hamilton won 125,000 pounds after betting 10 years ago that the Formula One driver would win the World Championship, a bookmaker confirmed on Monday.
Ladbrokes said that total, along with a winning bet that paid out 40,000 pounds a year ago for the unnamed fan, was the biggest single pay-out for a Formula One bet in the firm's history.
Hamilton, 23, clinched the championship when he passed German driver Timo Glock to take fifth place on the final lap of the Brazilian Grand Prix, beating out Felipe Massa by a single point for the overall title.
According to Ladbrokes, the unidentified customer, who is from Peterborough, north of London, made three bets totalling 350 pounds in May 1998.
He collected 40,000 pounds last year on a 200 pound wager at 200-1 odds that Hamilton would win his first Formula One race before he turned 23.
And on Sunday, he collected 50,000 pounds on a 100 pound bet at 500-1 that the British driver would win the World Championship before his 25th birthday, along with a 50 pound bet at 1,500-1 odds that both events would happen.
"I've known Lewis from his early days and it was easy to see he had an obvious driving ability, coupled with a fantastic attitude to racing," the man, whose son used to race go-karts against Hamilton, said.
"I just had a hunch he would go on to bigger and better things."
He is planning to use his winnings to buy a Tag Heuer watch, take his family on holiday to Cuba and buy his wife a Mercedes-Benz car.
"We had been sweating on this bet for a while," said Ladbrokes spokesman Nick Weinberg.
"We survived last year but there was a feeling that we had only put off the inevitable."
:w00t: lucky guy
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What do you guys think, is Hamilton a deserving winner?
I probably would, if it weren't for the fact that it really, REALLY looked like Glock just gave up his position to Hamilton on the last lap. If Hamilton had executed some brilliant passing move to take that position, then yeah, no doubt at all; unfortunately it just didn't look like that to me.
Still, probably one of the best/most exciting season ending races that F1 has had in the last decade.
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I really don't think Glock gave up his position willingly since as we know the lap time difference on intermediate and slick tyres is really great at around 30 secs - 60 secs.
Still i was devastated that night and almost cried with Massa. He really improved a lot and it was a shame he has no WDC for his effort. But i'm sure he made a lot of new fans with his strong character showing on the podium.
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The Toyotas were the only cars with normal tires and Glock beat his teammate on every last three lap of the race. So, surely he didn't slow down for Hamilton on purpose.
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I can't see how Glock let him pass, it was very wet for the last 3 laps or so, and this would have lowered the tyre temperature - and therefore he would have had much less grip. So he couldn't put the power down or his wheels would have just spun and he would have gone even slower. Also, if he had pitted and put wets on, Hamilton would have overtaken him because the gap was only 10-15 seconds. He took a risk to gain more points, and it didn't pay off, but it almost did!
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Father of F1 star Hamilton silently mulled pulling son from sport
LONDON -- The father of new Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton said racial abuse and other insults directed at his son and family led him to consider withdrawing the 23-year-old driver from the sport.
Anthony Hamilton expressed dismay at what he described as a hate campaign against his son, who finished fifth in Sunday's season-ending Brazilian Grand Prix to become the youngest and first black driver to win the F1 season title.
"My family has taken a lot of stick [abuse] this past week, not just this past week, but the past few months," Anthony Hamilton said in Tuesday editions of British newspapers, speaking from Sao Paulo, Brazil.
"I did think that maybe this isn't the place for my family because as a parent you make sure you do right for your family and kids."
Hamilton said he never spoke to his son about withdrawing.
"I kept it to myself, even though I was going home thinking, 'I didn't think the world was quite like this,' " he said in The Guardian. "And then you think, 'It's just the way it is,' and I'd send Lewis a text saying, 'Whatever happens, people love you.' The negative people are a small percentage, and even the negative ones have a heart."
In the week leading up to the Brazilian race, Hamilton was the target of racist abuse on a Spanish Web site, was insulted by two Brazilian comedians and was handed a black cat -- a symbol of bad luck in Brazil -- at a sponsor's function.
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Hamilton rejects Ecclestone's comment that racism in F1 started as joke
LONDON -- Lewis Hamilton rejected F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone's assertion on Thursday that racist abuse directed at the driver probably started as a joke.
F1's first black champion was the target of racist abuse on a Spanish Web site and endured other insults in the buildup to last Sunday's Brazilian Grand Prix. Hamilton's father Anthony said he had often considered withdrawing the 23-year-old driver from the sport because of the abuse.
"[It was] probably beginning as a joke rather than anything abusive," Ecclestone said Thursday in a radio interview, pointing to poor sportsmanship rather than racism by Spanish and Brazilian fans. "I don't see why people should have been [insulted by it]. These things are people expressing themselves."
Hamilton disagreed and said he "didn't see it as a joke."
"It's something that happened, but it is in the past, you've got to look forward," said the McLaren driver, who clinched the F1 title by a single point over Ferrari's Brazilian driver Felipe Massa at the Interlagos circuit.
In the week leading up to the Brazilian race, Hamilton was the target of racist abuse on a Spanish Web site, was insulted by two Brazilian comedians and was handed a black cat -- a symbol of bad luck in Brazil -- at a sponsor's function.
Last February, a group of people at testing near Barcelona wore dark face paint with T-shirts displaying the slogan "Hamilton's Family." Hamilton has become a target for many Spaniards who believe the British driver derailed Fernando Alonso's championship hopes at McLaren last year.
"I don't think we should even be talking about racism," Ecclestone told The Associated Press at the time. "I really think that they are against Hamilton for his ability, not because he is black. I always thought it was a bit of a prank -- they're probably not racist at all."
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^
Poor Bernie. Completely clueless.
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Feeling of Hamilton's breakthrough victory still fresh
SAO PAULO, Brazil -- Oh, what a feeling!
It's still sinking in for Lewis Hamilton that he is the new Formula One World Champion.
In December 1995, when he approached McLaren team owner Ron Dennis at a banquet and said that one day he wanted to drive for McLaren, F1 was but a dream for the 10-year-old Hamilton.
At the time he was a rising star in the go-kart racing ranks in England.
Dennis was impressed by Hamilton's demeanor and confidence. Two years later Hamilton became a protégé in McLaren Mercedes' young driver program.
And on the afternoon of Nov. 2, 2008, Hamilton, age 23, won the F1 Drivers' World Championship in a cliff-hanger finale in Brazil. It wasn't until the final seconds of the final lap that Hamilton was able to pass Timo Glock to take over fifth place. And fifth was just enough for Hamilton to snatch the title by a single point from Felipe Massa, who won the race in his Ferrari. (http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/racing/f1/columns/story?columnist=knutson_dan&id=3686763)
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He is from Stevenage, which is not too far from where I live - and they still keep talking about him in the National and local news...
He been asked to turn on the Christmas lights there :lol:
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Ferrari chief: F1 to drop engine costs from $25.5M to $6.4M
SCARPERIA, Italy -- Formula One teams have unanimously agreed to reduce engine costs by nearly $20 million by 2011, Ferrari chairman Luca Cordero di Montezemolo said Sunday.
Montezemolo recently presided over a meeting of the newly founded Formula One Teams Association, or FOTA.
"We are working with all the teams to reduce costs even more for 2010 and 2011," Montezemolo said at Ferrari's end-of-season celebration. "We unanimously decided that by 2011 an engine will cost $6.4 million, compared to the more than $25.5 million they used to cost."
Auto racing governing body FIA recently announced it was moving forward with plans to have a sole engine and transmission supplier beginning in 2010, a move which prompted Ferrari to threaten pulling out of F1 if the plans went ahead.
Ferrari believes the move would eliminate the essence of a sport based on competition and technological development.
"It's unthinkable that constructors like Ferrari, Toyota, Mercedes, Honda, Renault and BMW would accept putting their label on a machine with an engine made by someone else," Montezemolo said, according to the ANSA news agency. "The purpose of F1 is that investments in innovation, research and development reverberate in industrial production."
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^
I have to say, I'm on the fence with this one. I can agree with the Ferrari dude's assertions about how the competition in F1 being largely based on the technical advances/progress each team makes and how ridiculous it is to expect teams owned by car companies to allow a different companies product to power their cars.
On the other side of the coin, having a single engine supplier (like how Champ Car had before they merged with the IRL) would help to even the playing field between the teams. No longer would victory be guaranteed by the fact that one team's car can simply power it's way past the others. It would come down more to the aerodynamic design of the chassis of the car, and more importantly, the skills of the individual drivers to be able to use that engine/tranny to it's maximum potential.
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Barrichello says he'll either continue racing in F1 or not at all
SAO PAULO, Brazil -- Rubens Barrichello says he'll retire if he fails to find a ride in Formula One next year. The 36-year-old Brazilian driver dismissed the possibility of a move to the Indy Racing League or any other series.
"Either I stay in F1 or I won't race," Barrichello said late Tuesday.
Barrichello has competed in the most grands prix (271) of any Formula One driver. He was with Honda this season, but his contract has not been renewed and the team is testing other drivers. Lucas di Grassi and Bruno Senna, the nephew of three-time world champion Ayrton Senna, are to test next week.
"If they are good they will keep the position," Barrichello said. "But if an empty seat is left, I'll take it."
Hoping to race in his 17th season, Barrichello also has a chance of driving for Toro Rosso.
Barrichello won nine F1 races during six seasons at Ferrari before leaving the Italian team in 2005. This year, his best finish was third at the British Grand Prix.
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Judge sets March 2 trial date for Castroneves on tax evasion charges
MIAMI -- Race car driver Helio Castroneves will stand trial in March in Miami federal court on tax evasion charges.
U.S. District Judge Donald Graham on Monday set the March 2 trial date for Castroneves, his sister and a Michigan lawyer. Prosecutors say Castroneves and the others tried to hide $5.5 million in income from the IRS.
Castroneves is a two-time Indianapolis 500 winner and gained more fame as the 2007 winner of TV's "Dancing With The Stars" competition. He has pleaded not guilty and is free on $10 million bail.
Monday also marked the first appearance in the case of high-powered Washington lawyer Robert Bennett, who is representing co-defendant Alan Miller. Bennett represented former President Clinton in the Paula Jones scandal.
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Castroneves' request to delay tax evasion trial refused by judge
MIAMI -- A federal judge in Miami has rejected requests to delay the tax evasion trial of race car driver Helio Castroneves.
U.S. District Judge Donald Graham on Friday said the March 2 trial date will stand. Lawyers for Castroneves and Penske Racing Inc. had sought a delay until November to ensure he could drive in the 2009 IndyCar Series that runs from April to October.
Castroneves is a two-time Indianapolis 500 winner who also won TV's "Dancing With The Stars" competition in 2007.
He has pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy and tax evasion involving about $5.5 million in income stashed in offshore accounts.
His sister and business manager, along with his attorney, also are charged in the case.
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Joe Posnanski, one of my fave bloggers and now a columnist for SI.com, wrote an interesting profile on Jimmie Johnson (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/joe_posnanski/11/12/jimmie.johnson/index.html), contrasting his rise to the top of NASCAR with two other racing legends.
Interesting how aggressive Jimmie was at making the contacts needed to break into the big time arena.
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Ecclestone says proposed system would encourage drivers to go all out
LONDON -- Formula One race winners should receive gold medals next season, with the world championship going to whomever wins the most, F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone said on Tuesday.
"Everybody is happy with the idea, they are all very supportive," Ecclestone told Reuters when asked whether the teams supported his suggestion. "I'm absolutely 100 percent sure it's the right way to go, it'll get them [the drivers] overtaking."
The idea, however, has yet to be presented to the International Automobile Federation (FIA), the world governing body for motor sport, with the next council meeting scheduled for Monaco on Dec. 12.
The Formula One Teams Association (FOTA), representing all 10 teams, also is expected to discuss the plan at its next gathering.
Ecclestone wants to drop the existing points format to make races more exciting and ensure drivers go all out for victory, rather than drive strategically to bank points and secure the title.
McLaren's 23-year-old Lewis Hamilton became the sport's youngest champion by a single point this season after finishing fifth in a nail-biting final race in Brazil this month.
However, Ferrari's Felipe Massa, who won his home race in Brazil, would have been champion under a medals system -- he had six victories, and Hamilton had five.
Under Ecclestone's proposed Olympic-style system, the top three drivers in every grand prix would get gold, silver and bronze medals instead of 10, eight and six points.
Those who finished fourth and below would not get points towards the drivers' championship, but their placings would count for the overall rankings.
Points would still be awarded for the constructors' championship.
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^ What always set f1 apart was how brutal it is. Go off course and get stuck, you're out. For a long time, finishing out of the top six meant no points. When the points were restructured to go down to eighth it was disappointing. Something like this suggestion might have merit.
They also need to deal better with the reality of team orders. How about going the opposite way from now: They have to be totally public, announced over the loudspeakers and posted on the screens around the track? :-)
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Three-time champ Johnson tops list of Blount's Blitz Awards and Razzies
A dynasty and domination.
It's a good way to sum up a couple of championship performers in the 2008 season of auto racing.
Jimmie Johnson earned a historic third consecutive Sprint Cup championship, joining NASCAR legend Cale Yarborough as the only men to accomplish the feat.
Now everyone will start asking whether Johnson and crew chief Chad Knaus can take the No. 48 Chevrolet team to a fourth straight title in 2009, securing their place as a NASCAR team dynasty for the ages. (http://proxy.espn.go.com/rpm/nascar/cup/columns/story?columnist=blount_terry&page=BlountsBlitz)
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^ What always set f1 apart was how brutal it is. Go off course and get stuck, you're out. For a long time, finishing out of the top six meant no points. When the points were restructured to go down to eighth it was disappointing. Something like this suggestion might have merit.
They also need to deal better with the reality of team orders. How about going the opposite way from now: They have to be totally public, announced over the loudspeakers and posted on the screens around the track? :-)
It would be quite interesting to use this format. Although Kubica finished 2nd/3rd in a lot of races, so this format would be bad for him because he would be ranked behind someone that wins one GP. Although he may make an extra effort to go for the win, which would be great.
I definitely agree with the team tactics part, last season, only about 4 teams opened up their radios - I reckon everyone should - it would make it more interested - but then you would know what they are going to do, so you lose the element of surprise (like random pit-stops etc ??
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I don't think any medals are needed to F1 being interesting. This year the championship was decided on the last corner of the last race. I'd rather give more points to winner and forget the medals.
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I don't think any medals are needed to F1 being interesting. This year the championship was decided on the last corner of the last race. I'd rather give more points to winner and forget the medals.
Thats true, but that was just the last race. For most of the races this season, nothing happened in the last 25% of the laps. If they were 10seconds behind the leader, (with 10-15 laps to go) they usually accepted 2nd place and saved the engine if they needed to. This could encourage them to go for it??
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http://sports.espn.go.com/broadband/video/videopage?categoryId=2755879&brand=null&videoId=3700918&n8pe6c=2
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Mark Webber broke his leg :cry: I want to know who was driving the car that hit him :angry:
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^
At least it happened during the off-season. With any luck he'll have recovered in time to race again.
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You know that the automotive industry is being hit HARD by the recent economic downturn when this happens:
Honda threatens to pull out of Formula One
(Mainichi Japan) December 5, 2008
TENERIFE, Canary Islands (AP) -- Honda will pull out of Formula One unless a new buyer can be found within three months, The Associated Press has learned.
The Japanese car manufacturer has the operating budget to keep the team running into early 2009, but escalating operational costs amid the worldwide financial crisis have the Brackley-based outfit in danger of shutting down if a new sponsor is not found quickly.
Takeo Fukui, CEO of Honda Motors, was due to hold a news conference regarding the F1 team in Tokyo at 1:30 p.m. local time (0430 GMT) Friday. A person familiar with the decision told The AP that team bosses Ross Brawn and Nick Fry informed the near 700-member team late Thursday.
"Their intention is to pull out entirely -- as an engine supplier and sponsor," the Honda team member said on condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to discuss it. "It's a shock. I think this came as a total surprise to everyone. No one in the UK was aware of this decision before Thursday night." (http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2008/12/05/20081205p2g00m0dm001000c.html)
Full Article - http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2008/12/05/20081205p2g00m0dm001000c.html
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^ It quickly turned out to be more than a threat.
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New car designs are out for the 2009 season. In the following link most of them can be seen side by side with their 2008 predecessors.
LINK - 2009 F1 cars and 2008 cars compared (http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2009/01/23/2009-f1-cars-and-2008-cars-compared/)
Most prominent changes are seen in the front and rear wing designs. :O
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Branson interested, but wants change
Associated Press
LONDON -- Virgin may be ready to take over Formula One team Honda but only if the sport is ready to make major changes, boss Richard Branson said on Saturday.
The British businessman told BBC radio that although he loves Formula One, a lack of environmentally friendly technology and the high running costs could keep Virgin from entering the sport.
"Formula One should be championing new, cleaner technology and if we were to get involved we want to be sure that we could run our cars in a very short period of time on clean fuels, which would set an example to normal cars on the road," Branson said.
Honda pulled out of F1 in December because of the high cost of running the team amid the global economic downturn. It is in negotiations with several potential buyers to sell the team in time for the season-opening Australian Grand Prix on March 29, with Virgin reportedly one of the interested parties.
Branson would not confirm whether Virgin had entered into negotiations, but did lay out conditions.
"I think they need to organize Formula One so that the teams can actually make money instead of losing a lot of money, especially the smaller teams," Branson said. "[F1 boss] Bernie Ecclestone recognizes that."
F1 has introduced sweeping regulation and cost-cutting changes for this season and governing body FIA wants to go even further in 2010 by introducing a team budget cap that would not exceed $64 million.
Such measures could appeal to Branson who said the sport needs to be "less cash-hungry going forward" with rule changes necessary "to make it economically viable in these tough times."
The global appeal of the sport would also appeal to Virgin, a worldwide brand involved in telecommunications and travel. Virgin previously sponsored F1 team Jordan in 2002.
"I love F1," Branson said. "One day, you never know, we might see a Virgin car on the circuit."
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^
Just to play devil's advocate, couldn't Branson give us some actual examples of ways he thinks it could improve? Just saying "it should be more environmentally friendly" and what not is nice and all, but yeah...try and be more than just talk. And pulling the "if you do this, this, and this, we might invest" doesn't really make it sound like he's honestly eager to join up.
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McLaren-Ferrari spy scandal closes
Associated Press
WOKING, England -- Italian authorities have closed all legal action against McLaren for its part in a spy scandal with Ferrari, McLaren said Monday.
Charges against former McLaren chief designer Mike Coughlan and three senior engineers were dropped, but the British team did not say whether it would pay each of the three engineers' $192,000 fine. Coughlan was fined $230,000.
"The proceedings in Italy were merely the officializing of what had been proposed long before, namely the [no contest] agreement," McLaren said. "A line has finally been drawn under this matter."
McLaren was fined a record $100 million by governing body FIA in 2007 and kicked out of the manufacturers' championship after Ferrari mechanic Nigel Stepney leaked a 780-page technical dossier on the Italian team's cars to Coughlan.
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Team short on details for 2010 debut
Associated Press
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The founders of a new U.S.-based Formula One team plan to hire a pair of American drivers, and Mario Andretti believes his grandson is the perfect choice to fill one of the seats.
Ken Anderson and Peter Windsor, the principals behind the team they call USF1, officially announced their intent Tuesday to run the 2010 schedule. The motorsports veterans said they'll base the team in Charlotte, home for most NASCAR teams, and scour the market for young American drivers.
"Who they are ... your guess is as good as mine," said Windsor, a former team manager for Ferrari and Williams and current F1 pit reporter for Speed TV. "But two American drivers, that's what we intend to do." (http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/racing/f1/news/story?id=3931404)
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Interesting, especially if Mario Andretti's going to be involved.
A few years back, Scott Speed was supposed to make the big splash that would herald the return of a significant American presence in F1, and as we all know, he never really lived up to expectations and left F1 shortly after. To be honest, I'd rather see an up and comer like Graham Rahal or even Marco Andretti give it a go.
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Argentina, Chile get Dakar Rally again
Associated Press
SANTIAGO, Chile -- The Dakar Rally will return to Argentina and Chile in 2010.
A spokesman for the Chilean government said Tuesday that organizers confirmed the race will be held in South America for the second straight year. In 2009, the race was moved from Africa for the first time in 31 years due to terrorist threats in Mauritania.
Presidential spokesman Francisco Vidal said dates and routes of the 2010 race will be announced later. Vidal added that Chile will get more than the five stages it had this year. Nine stages were held in Argentina.
The January race through the Argentine pampas and the Chilean desert, including two crosses of the Andes mountains, was won by South African driver Giniel de Villiers.
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RBS won't renew team sponsorship
Reuters
LONDON -- Royal Bank of Scotland will end its sponsorship of the Williams Formula One team when the current deal expires in 2010, the troubled bank said Wednesday.
RBS, now majority-owned by the British government, is due to report Britain's biggest-ever corporate loss on Thursday as well as a restructuring plan and job losses.
"We recognize that we are now operating in a very different economic environment and have been reviewing all of our activities since October," RBS head of communications Andrew McLaughlin said in a statement. (http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/racing/f1/news/story?id=3933904)
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^
Ouch. They were one of Williams' bigger sponsors too.
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American F1 effort gaining steam
By Dan Knutson
Special to ESPN.com
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- It is all systems go for USF1, the first Formula One team that will be based in the United States.
An entry form has been filed with the FIA for the 2010 season, and USF1 team principal and technical director Ken Anderson told ESPN.com that 90 percent of required funding to set up the team and build the cars is already in place.
Anderson and USF1's sporting director Peter Windsor held a news conference at Speed TV in Charlotte on Tuesday to officially announce the new team. (http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/racing/f1/columns/story?columnist=knutson_dan&id=3934161)
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F1 considers more cost cuts
Associated Press
PARIS -- Responding to the global economic crisis, Formula One's governing body is preparing a series of proposals that would slash racing costs and open the sport to smaller teams.
If adopted, the new rules would "enable a team to compete for a fraction of current budgets but nevertheless field cars which can match those of the established teams," FIA said Friday in a statement. It did not elaborate on the measures or provide any details.
The proposals would not affect the established teams, the statement said, but would "enable new teams to fill the existing vacancies on the grid for 2010." The proposals are also aimed at reducing the chances that teams would be forced to leave the championship.
The proposals are to be submitted to the FIA's World Council in March for approval.
The sport's automakers are reeling from the global financial crisis. Honda announced in December that it is pulling out of F1. In January, Formula One teams unanimously agreed to a series of cost-cutting measures, including limits on expensive testing and a cheaper engine for smaller teams starting in 2010.
The Formula One Teams Association agreed to the proposals.
FOTA also agreed to develop low-cost transmissions starting in 2010 that would be used for six races, and to supply low-cost engines to independent teams for less than $6.6 million per team per season.
FIA president Max Mosley had said that teams should be operating on an overall budget of no more than $63 million and mentioned a budget cap for 2010.
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Busch: Winning Cup title comes first
By Terry Blount
ESPN.com
LAS VEGAS -- Sprint Cup driver Kyle Busch said the timing isn't right for him to race in Formula One for the new F1 team based in Charlotte.
Ken Anderson and Peter Windsor are partnering to form the team, which hopes to begin racing to start the 2010 season. Busch's name has been mentioned as a candidate to drive one of the cars for the new operation.
"I have not been talked to yet, but I do toss the idea around," Busch said. "It's something I'd love to give a shot one day. It's not something I would shoot down, but I don't think it's the right time in my career to do something like that." (http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/nascar/cup/news/story?id=3940108)
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F1 considers more cost cuts
Associated Press
PARIS -- Responding to the global economic crisis, Formula One's governing body is preparing a series of proposals that would slash racing costs and open the sport to smaller teams.
If adopted, the new rules would "enable a team to compete for a fraction of current budgets but nevertheless field cars which can match those of the established teams," FIA said Friday in a statement. It did not elaborate on the measures or provide any details.
The proposals would not affect the established teams, the statement said, but would "enable new teams to fill the existing vacancies on the grid for 2010." The proposals are also aimed at reducing the chances that teams would be forced to leave the championship.
The proposals are to be submitted to the FIA's World Council in March for approval.
The sport's automakers are reeling from the global financial crisis. Honda announced in December that it is pulling out of F1. In January, Formula One teams unanimously agreed to a series of cost-cutting measures, including limits on expensive testing and a cheaper engine for smaller teams starting in 2010.
The Formula One Teams Association agreed to the proposals.
FOTA also agreed to develop low-cost transmissions starting in 2010 that would be used for six races, and to supply low-cost engines to independent teams for less than $6.6 million per team per season.
FIA president Max Mosley had said that teams should be operating on an overall budget of no more than $63 million and mentioned a budget cap for 2010.
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Tax trial begins for Castroneves
Associated Press
MIAMI -- On top of the world a few months ago, Brazilian race car driver and "Dancing with the Stars" champ Helio Castroneves faces possible prison time if convicted at a tax evasion trial that began Monday with selection of a jury.
An ethnically diverse panel of five men and seven women was chosen to hear the case, with attorneys' opening statements set for Tuesday.
Castroneves, a two-time winner of the Indianapolis 500, smiled broadly as he entered Miami's downtown federal courthouse. Prosecutors say Castroneves, his business-manager sister Katiucia and Michigan attorney Alan R. Miller conspired to hide about $5.5 million in income from the Internal Revenue Service using offshore accounts. (http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/racing/indycar/news/story?id=3946491)
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Ex-Honda F1 team to race as Brawn GP
Associated Press
TOKYO -- Honda reached an agreement to pass the ownership of its Formula One team to Ross Brawn.
The former Honda team principal assumed control of Brawn GP immediately, and confirmed Jenson Button and Rubens Barichello as its drivers for 2009.
Honda will take part in preseason tests in Spain at Barcelona and Jerez before the season-opening Australian Grand Prix on March 29, where the grid will feature 20 cars.
The new F1 team also confirmed that it would be using McLaren Mercedes engines after securing a partnership.
Financial details of the buyout were not revealed. Honda had one of the highest budgets in F1 last year at $283 million.
"We are very pleased that we could sell the team to Ross Brawn, with whom we have been partaking in the challenges of F1 competition, and are grateful for his decision," said Hiroshi Oshima, managing officer of the Japanese auto manufacturer. "We offer our sincerest wishes for the new team which will be led by Ross."
Barichello earned the nod to partner Button for the fourth straight year over GP2 racer Bruno Senna, nephew of three-time world champion Ayrton Senna.
Brawn also said that F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone and the Formula One Teams Association had played a big supporting role in helping secure the deal. F1 was introducing major regulation changes this season in a bid to cut costs amid the global economic downturn.
"The journey ahead will be challenging but exciting and we know we can count on their continued enthusiasm for our team and its ambitions," Brawn said.
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^
Well, now THAT's going to be interesting. :O
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Anyone following WTCC? BMW got annihilated by Seat.. TWICE! :lol: :lol:
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So many reasons to doubt U.S. in F1
By Ed Hinton
ESPN.com
When pigs fly, or Ferrari slashes its racing budget by 85 percent -- whichever comes first -- then a competitive Formula One team will be based in the epicenter of the NASCAR industry, Charlotte, N.C.
And even then, it wouldn't be something Americans necessarily would be proud of.
Still, even NASCAR fans and journalists are getting caught up in this notion of an American F1 team, floated last week by veteran British F1 executive and journalist Peter Windsor and American engineer Ken Anderson. (http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/nascar/cup/columns/story?columnist=hinton_ed&id=3956298)
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Raikkonen fastest in F1 testing
Associated Press
BARCELONA, Spain -- Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen was fastest in Formula One testing with all 10 teams in action Tuesday and new F1 outfit Brawn GP recording the third-quickest lap time.
Raikkonen's best lap time of 1 minute, 20.314 seconds around the Catalunya Circuit was more than half a second faster than his closest rival, Kazuki Nakajima of Williams.
Rubens Barichello was behind the wheel for Brawn GP for the first time since Ross Brawn bought the team from Honda on Friday. The 37-year-old Brazilian had a fastest time of 1:20.966 from 111 laps, with Brawn GP adapting well to its Mercedes engine.
"If the management group, because it is not just myself, had not taken this task on, there would be no team," Brawn told autosport.com of the Honda buyout. "It wasn't a difficult choice in that respect. Things can go wrong, but we are optimistic and if we can capitalize on the performance of the car, and the car looks good, then I think the team have got a future.
"If the car was poor then we only have ourselves to blame," Brawn said.
Brawn confirmed that chief executive Nick Fry would stay on with the team, while Barichello said he hadn't spoken to Bruno Senna since being picked over the nephew of the late three-time champion Ayrton Senna to partner Jenson Button this season.
Toro Rosso's second day in the 2009 car went badly after Sebastien Bourdais had a mechanical problem after 14 laps and managed only six laps.
The season begins at the Australian Grand Prix on March 29.
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Points System changes for F1
Formula 1 has introduced a new points system which will result in the driver with most wins crowned world champion.
The current points system will still operate to decide a tie if two drivers have the same wins and to define all other championship positions.
Had the new rules been in place in 2008, Lewis Hamilton would have lost the title to runner-up Felipe Massa.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/7948455.stm (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/7948455.stm)
I didn't really see a problem with the current, sorry, old system. With that, it rewarded drivers/teams that were the most consistent and even with the old system, you had one of the most exciting finishes to a F1 season for a long time. Judging by this new season, we could have this hypothetical situation of a season of 17 races:
Driver A wins 9 and retires 8 times.
Driver B wins 8 times and comes 2nd 9 times.
Yet Driver A wins? How is that fair? Surely the points gap between positions should have been increased instead.
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The driver's championship decided on most wins may make for a hotter battle for a race victory but that could mean two top drivers taking each other out if it translates into riskier behavior. Is that an improvement?
Also, a driver having a three win lead with two races remaining might be more likely than a close points battle to the end, though I haven't analyzed that.
A lot of the talk of what amounts to fanservice seems like an unfortunate dumbing down. Loftiness and decorum are among the appeals of f1. Race coverage littered with (dropped out) driver interviews isn't very enticing to me at least.
But overall the slew of changes do seem better focused than a lot of the diddling they've done with the rules over the last few years.
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I'm not digging this new points system either, though I can see why they'd implement it. Quite often in the past few seasons, racers who have had "comfortable" point leads in the driver's standings have held back during latter races of the season. Why risk crashing your car and losing points by going full-out, when you can wrap up the championship by finishing within just the top 5? If the latter was all that was needed, that's all that they (the teams) would go for. By making it based on wins rather than placement, the FIA is hoping that it'll push everyone to go all-out every single race, which (they're hoping), will lead to more exciting races.
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Drivers slimming down to adapt
Associated Press
MADRID -- Formula One's new rules are forcing even the drivers to adopt a more aerodynamic profile for the 2009 season.
With the biggest changes coming to the world championship in more than 25 years, it may be a racer's weight that decides the title.
The brand-new Kinetic Energy Recovery System, a hybrid technology that gives drivers an extra boost for overtaking, will take up approximately 77 pounds, while car weight limits have not been increased. That leaves teams with only one variable -- the driver. (http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/racing/f1/news/story?id=3993920)
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^
Dang. Well, the drivers won't be able to lose too much weight. Given how much they normally lose through sweating during the normal course of a race to begin with (something which can increase in hotter race locations like Dubai, Malaysia and Brazil), if they slim down any more they're going to risk exhaustion to the point of possibly passing out in the middle of a race.
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So I was about to head to bed last night when I started flipping through the channels to see if anything was going on. Lo and behold, I turn it to SPEED Channel (http://www.speedtv.com/), and it's the 2009 Australian Grand Prix! So yeah, I would up staying up in order to watch it. :lol:
Now while I've seen the designs for the 2009 cars, seeing them in action is still a little wierd. The rear wing is so much smaller, and the front wing now goes the entire width of the car, instead of being approximately 85% of the width in previous seasons. Then, of course, was the race itself. I mean, HOLY SHIT BRAWN GP!!! :rockon: Making their team debut by starting AND finishing the race 1-2, that's just nuts! Brawn has shown that he KNOWS F1, taking the remnants of the Honda factory team and, within half a year, working his connections and knowledge of the sport to build what could have been the most consistent/well-balanced cars of the weekend.
The final results would/could have been different, if it hadn't been for Kubica trying to pull off an ill-timed pass on RBR's Vettel with less than 5 laps to go. I mean dude...seriously, that was just the wrong time to try it. Vettel was already as far as he could go (his right side was running on the grass, for fuck's sake), and Kubica kept trying to push him over, which resulted in contact which ended up taking them both out of the race.
If this was any indication (and I hope it was), this season's going to be an interesting one to watch.
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Here's hoping Brawn continue to do well and make it an interesting season for the rest of us.
And what does everyone think of Hamilton saying he'd leave McClaren if he doesn't do well this season? Bit of a slap in the face to them right? Hardly the attitude of someone who proclaimed before that he'd stay with McClaren for life after they just won a trophy, but when things start to get a little problematic...
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I mean dude...seriously, that was just the wrong time to try it.
Hey, making a pass around the outside of someone whose tires are going off, what could go wrong? :-)
Gotta say, with some of the new rules the inconsistency of the fia's logic is pretty noticeable. A lot of changes in the last few years have addressed things that cost money but "the fans would never notice". And so now going the other way they do things like publish starting fuel loads. But just as importantly, how do we know if a pass was made with kers or not? And while it's interesting to have moveable wings after decades of them being universally banned, we can't really see them in action to know how they come into play.
And the policy of intentionally not having proper tires for the race conditions isn't exactly safety oriented. Consider what happened at indianapolis just a few years ago where most teams ultimately couldn't run on rubber that was intended to work properly.
Regardless, a very interesting start to the season.
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And what does everyone think of Hamilton saying he'd leave McClaren if he doesn't do well this season? Bit of a slap in the face to them right? Hardly the attitude of someone who proclaimed before that he'd stay with McClaren for life after they just won a trophy, but when things start to get a little problematic...
Now he has an idea of the frustration that the other, older drivers were feeling when he first burst on the scene and was placing/winning left and right. :lol:
Considering how McLaren has nurtured his career since they first discovered him when he was racing go-karts, it would definitely be a slap in the face if he left just because he hasn't started off the season with a win. He'll likely change his tune if/when he gets a few notches on his belt this year.
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Oooooooooooooooooooh I cannot see this winning him any voter points:
Obama Orders Chevrolet and Dodge Out Of NASCAR
With their racing budgets deemed “unnecessary expenditures,” GM and Chrysler are ordered to cease racing operations at the end of the season.
BY JARED GALL, ILLUSTRATION BY ERIC WOODWARD
April 2009
In a move sure to spark outrage, the White House announced today that GM and Chrysler must cease participation in NASCAR at the end of the 2009 season if they hope to receive any additional financial aid from the government. Companies around the globe—Honda (http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/hot_lists/high_performance/motorsports/honda_withdraws_from_formula_1_car_news) and Audi (http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/hot_lists/high_performance/motorsports/audi_pulls_out_of_american_le_mans_series_for_2009_car_news), to name two—have drawn down racing operations, and NASCAR itself has already felt the pinch in the form of reduced team spending. A complete withdrawal from America’s premier racing series is expected to save more than $250 million between GM and Chrysler, a substantial amount considering the drastic measures being implemented elsewhere.
FULL ARTICLE HERE: http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/hot_lists/high_performance/motorsports/obama_orders_chevrolet_and_dodge_out_of_nascar_car_news (http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/hot_lists/high_performance/motorsports/obama_orders_chevrolet_and_dodge_out_of_nascar_car_news)
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Lewis Hamilton and McLaren have been stripped of their podium finish and all points at the Australian Grand Prix.
The sport's world governing body, the FIA, said they were excluded "for providing evidence deliberately misleading to the stewards".
A post-race hearing promoted Hamilton from fourth to third after Jarno Trulli was penalised for passing Hamilton while the safety car was out.
Trulli and Toyota have been reinstated to third, and McLaren will not appeal.
Hamilton was summoned by stewards on Thursday, ahead of this weekend's Malaysian GP, to discuss what the FIA described as "a new element" of evidence.
That "new element" included radio exchanges between Hamilton and his team as well as a post-race interview given by the world champion.
"The stewards, having learned about the radio exchanges and the media interview, felt strongly that they had been misled by the driver and his team manager," said an FIA statement.
An FIA spokesman said it "could not rule out at this stage" further action against McLaren.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/7978186.stm (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/7978186.stm)
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^
Holy shit. :o
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Well, it might not have been the way that he wanted to do it, but Jenson Button has "won" his second race of the year. Since they didn't complete more than 75% of the race, they're only getting half-points (meaning that the final points position guy gets 0.5 :lol:), which, again, is a pretty fair decision, IMO.
Given the weather conditions, it was definitely the correct decision to just call it. Combine that with the fact that it was getting dark by the time it started to let up. At it's peak, that storm must have been close to monsoon conditions. :o
I admit, I was laughing seeing the cars coming in every few laps to change and then re-change their tires. And even then, there were a couple of neat spin-outs on the track. :P
EDIT: According to the TV broadcasters at SPEED Channel, Jenson is lucky in more than one way. Apparently, THIS is his GF:
(http://img104.imageshack.us/img104/9414/b001b0w1uu09lzzzzzzz.jpg)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jessica_Michibata (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jessica_Michibata)
http://japansugoi.com/wordpress/japanese-lingerie-model-jessica-michibata/ (http://japansugoi.com/wordpress/japanese-lingerie-model-jessica-michibata/)
http://www.tanabe-agency.co.jp/talent/jessica_michibata/ (http://www.tanabe-agency.co.jp/talent/jessica_michibata/)
http://blog.honeyee.com/jessica/ (http://blog.honeyee.com/jessica/)
Damn lucky bugger. :rockon:
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^ Our next lady of the month!!!
There's talk of shortening the race lengths in coming years so consider this a preview. Anyway, starting so late in malaysia for european tv set up the scenario for a shortened race.
Great race while it lasted. Was is short enough for mclaren to stay out of trouble with the officials? :-)
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EDIT: According to the TV broadcasters at SPEED Channel, Jenson is lucky in more than one way. Apparently, THIS is his GF:
Day-umn. Winning races and dating a hot model. Does life get any better for Button?
Good race today, or what there was anyway. For a split-second I thought my TV was dying on me while watching it but turns out it was cause of the lightning :o Right decision in the end, would have been impossible to continue. Doesn't matter to me if someone wins on a half point, cause a win's a win.
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So Red Bull gets a 1-2 finish in Shanghai? Hope the championship remains this open throughout. :D
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^
Wasn't that awesome?!? Way to go Red Bull Racing; this was undoubtedly their best race as a team so far. :rockon:
If the season continues to progress this way (with Brawn GP and RBR), who knows, maybe we're seeing a proverbial "changing of the guard".
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Sebastian Vettel names his cars.
Something slightly quirky that came out of the Chinese Grand Prix weekend was the fact that eventual race winner Sebastian Vettel names his cars. This all came about when a photo was released showing a make-shift sticker placed across the bridge of Vettel’s steering wheel. The words read ‘Kate’s Dirty Sister’ and was only seen on Vettel’s Red Bull. A few questions buzzed around the Internet and an answer didn’t come my way until Martin Brundle started his usual grid walk and managed to catch Sebastian slightly off-guard…
(http://img185.imageshack.us/img185/8784/h3noms2m6.jpg)
FULL ARTICLE - http://blogf1.co.uk/2009/04/19/vettel-i-name-thee-kates-dirty-sister/ (http://blogf1.co.uk/2009/04/19/vettel-i-name-thee-kates-dirty-sister/)
Hey, whatever works, I guess. :lol:
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Omgass, TRIPLE-POST!
Lola to return to F1?
22 April 2009
Lola is considering its options over a possible return to Formula One as early as next season. The manufacturer, based in East Anglia, constructed a string of Formula One cars from 1962 to as recently as 1997, as well as enjoying success in sports car circles.
FULL ARTICLE - http://f1.gpupdate.net/en/news/2009/04/22/lola-to-return-to-f1/ (http://f1.gpupdate.net/en/news/2009/04/22/lola-to-return-to-f1/)
The more teams, the more potential for competition, I say. :thumbsup
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QUAD-POST!!!
Missed the telecast of this past weekend's race in Bahrain. Congrats to Button and Brawn GP on their 3rd win this season! :rockon:
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Kimi- I was having a shit (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HHUkHbgAtM#lq-lq2-hq)
:lol:
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Fucking Finns and their dumps :ptam-shit: XD
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And Brawn GP takes Monaco in another 1-2 finish! :rockon:
Good job for Raikkonen getting Ferrari's first podium (I think) of the season. :thumbsup
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Vettel singing in Finnish (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6DjPGDXMhM#ws-lq-lq2-hq-vhq)
His pronounciation ain't bad XD
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This was being mentioned quite a bit in news reports today:
Montreal among potential sites for F1 breakaway series
Last Updated: Tuesday, June 23, 2009 | 4:12 PM ET
CBC Sports
Montreal is on a leaked list of potential venues for the breakaway racing series being discussed by disgruntled Formula One teams.
Under the plan, which appeared on various websites on Tuesday, Montreal would host an event on June 6, 2010.
Several top F1 teams are threatening to leave the circuit after the International Automobile Association, the sport's governing body, announced plans to introduce a 45-million euro ($73 million Cdn) budget cap for 2010 that FIA president Max Mosley said was "essential" if independent teams were to survive.
The FIA plans to sue to prevent the eight members of the Formula One Teams' Association (FOTA) — Ferrari, McLaren, BMW Sauber, Renault, Toyota, Red Bull, Toro Rosso and Brawn GP — from starting their own loop.
The Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal was removed from the F1 schedule for the 2009 season, though mayor Gérald Tremblay said last week that the city is in talks to bring the race back for 2010.
Montreal is one of 10 former or current F1 stops listed among the 17 venues on the leaked FOTA circuit.
Indianapolis, which last hosted an F1 race in 2007, is also on the list.
FULL ARTICLE LINK - http://www.cbc.ca/sports/story/2009/06/23/sp-fone-breakaway-montreal.html (http://www.cbc.ca/sports/story/2009/06/23/sp-fone-breakaway-montreal.html)
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"Formula 1 pulled back from the brink on Wednesday as rebel teams struck an 11th-hour deal with the FIA to prevent the sport splitting in two.
"Following a meeting of the governing body’s World Motor Sport Council in Paris, the Formula One Teams’ Association dropped plans to form a breakaway championship in exchange for concessions from the FIA over cost-cutting and governance.
"As part of the deal Max Mosley will stand down as FIA president when his current term of office ends in October – having signalled on Tuesday that he would seek re-election if what he saw as FOTA’s threat to the governing body’s authority persisted."
More at
http://www.itv-f1.com/News_Article.aspx?id=46243&PO=46243 (http://www.itv-f1.com/News_Article.aspx?id=46243&PO=46243)
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Webber edges Vettel in German GP
Associated Press
NUERBURGRING, Germany -- Mark Webber won his first Formula One race Sunday after overcoming a penalty to take the German Grand Prix and give his Red Bull team momentum in its bid to catch Jenson Button in the drivers' championship.
The Australian beat teammate Sebastian Vettel by 9.2 seconds despite a drive-through penalty for bumping Brawn GP's Rubens Barrichello out of the start while defending his pole position.
Webber's euphoric screams were heard over the team radio after he crossed the finish line in his 132nd race. (http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/racing/f1/news/story?id=4322051)
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Shit, it's only his first win evar?
Well..congrats to him. He's definitely paid his dues long enough to get this under his belt.
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Bourdais set to be dropped
Monday 13th July 2009
Toro Rosso are due to confirm on Tuesday that Sebastien Bourdais has left the team, with Jaime Alguersuari poised to become the youngest driver in Formula One history.
Frenchman Bourdais was given his F1 chance after winning four successive ChampCar titles in the United States from 2004 to 2007.
But the 30-year-old struggled throughout his time in the sport, winning just six points from the 27 grands prix in which he competed.
Bourdais was overshadowed last year by Sebastian Vettel, who gave the often uncompetitive team a dream win in last season's Italian Grand Prix.
Given another chance this season, Bourdais again found himself second best to Swiss rookie Sebastien Buemi, who out-qualified his more experienced team-mate seven to two.
Bourdais' F1 career ended in suitably downbeat fashion in Sunday's German Grand Prix when he retired with a hydraulic failure at the Nurburgring.
Although team principal Franz Tost refused to confirm Bourdais' departure after the race, reserve and test driver Alguersuari is expected to step up to the plate for the rest of the season.
The rising Spanish star is the reigning British F3 champion and another product of the Red Bull Young Driver Development programme.
Alguersuari will take his place in the record books at the Hungarian Grand Prix in a fortnight by becoming the sport's youngest ever driver at the age of 19 years and 126 days.
That would beat New Zealander Mike Thackwell's record by 57 days set in the 1980 Canadian Grand Prix. (http://www.planetf1.com/story/0,18954,14254_5431034,00.html)
http://www.planetf1.com/story/0,18954,14254_5431034,00.html (http://www.planetf1.com/story/0,18954,14254_5431034,00.html)
Really sucks for Bourdais if this is true. His time in F1 has been wrought with repeated mechanical failures and retirements, which can understandably be frustrating/discouraging. Hell, Toro Rosso even kept Scott Speed on for one more races.
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Superstars (and others) from the US racing series have typically done terribly in f1 in the last couple decades, which I've come to feel says something about the quality of racing in the US. Though Jacque did do exceedingly well for a while and then fadedededed away...............
To be fair I scoffed at brawn going independent with the old honda team with the likes of button piloting but it shows a wealth of team factors come into play in a driver's success.
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Toro Rosso teammate: Bourdais is out
Associated Press
NUERBURGRING, Germany -- Sebastien Bourdais' stint with Toro Rosso is over, according to teammate Jaime Alguersuari.
Bourdais' future with the team was under scrutiny at the German Grand Prix, where the Frenchman retired due to a car problem.
"He's a very good driver," said Alguersuari, a 19-year-old Spanish reserve driver. "But it looks like this year he hasn't given it his all like he's supposed to give. I sincerely believe that Red Bull's decision is just, but it's never good to see someone taken off the team halfway through the season."
Spanish media reported that Alguersuari, who was promoted to reserve driver in time for the German race, would replace Bourdais at the Hungarian GP on July 26.
Toro Rosso would not comment on the decision. Bourdais said the team hadn't discussed the issue with him over the weekend.
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Franchitti holds off Penske cars for win
Associated Press
TORONTO -- Dario Franchitti had nearly forgotten what it was like to win on the streets of Toronto. After a decade, he refreshed his memory.
Franchitti won the Honda Indy on Sunday over the tricky street course at Exhibition Place, easily holding off Penske drivers Ryan Briscoe and Will Power on a late restart for his third triumph of the IndyCar Series season.
"It's 10 years since my first one here and it feels good," said Franchitti, who won a Champ Car race in 1999. "I guess we timed it right with strategy."
It was the first race in Toronto for the series. Starting from the pole, Franchitti was both lucky and good in regaining the series lead by two points over Target Chip Ganassi teammate Scott Dixon. (http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/racing/indycar/news/story?id=4322465)
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Mosley backs Todt to lead FIA
Associated Press
MADRID -- Scandal-plagued Max Mosley will not seek re-election as FIA president and will back Frenchman Jean Todt to succeed him after 16 years in charge of world motorsport.
The 69-year-old Mosley announced last month that he wouldn't seek a fifth term after brokering a deal with the Formula One Teams Association to avert a rival series. However, he later said in a newspaper interview that he might reconsider.
That reversal led teams to reiterate their push for a breakaway series at last weekend's German Grand Prix. The Formula One Teams Association refused to comment Wednesday on whether Mosley's decision had averted any more talk of a parallel series.
Mosley said on Wednesday he received "almost 100 messages from FIA member clubs urging me to think again" but that he felt it was time move on. (http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/racing/f1/news/story?id=4328531)
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Danica Patrick On IndyCar Season
Danica Patrick On IndyCar Season - ESPN Video - ESPN (http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=4334760)
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Pikes Peak drivers aim to break 10-minute barrier
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) -- Three-time champion Nobuhiro "Monster'' Tajima has been chasing the 10-minute barrier in the Pikes Peak Interntaional Hill Climb for years.
He'll have plenty of company Sunday for his next assault on the record.
Four-time Swedish rally champion Andreas Eriksson and two-time world rally champion Marcus Gronholm will drive a pair of supercharged Ford Rallycross Fiestas in the Unlimited class along with Tajima, who set the race record of 10:01.408 two years ago.
They will be joined by British rallycross champion Mark Rennison, who will drive a 1999 Ford RS200 in an attempt to break the elusive time barrier in the Race to the Clouds.
"The mountain is not a place for the feint-hearted,'' the 59-year-old Tajima said. "It's a very specialized course, long and very challenging with its own unique characteristics that take years to come to terms with.
"Car setup is also something that is unique to this event, and without previous experience on the mountain, I am sure the newcomers will find this event a huge challenge.'' (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/racing/07/17/Pikes.ap/index.html)
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Cosworth - a Formula One history
Legendary engine builders Cosworth will return to Formula One racing next season after a three-year absence, having agreed three-year supply deals with 2010 newcomers Campos Grand Prix, Manor Grand Prix and Team US F1. Their last appearance was with Williams and Toro Rosso at the 2006 Brazilian Grand Prix, which marked the end of a 38-year run of F1 involvement.
Originally the brainchild of British engineers Mike Costin and Keith Duckworth, Cosworth was set-up in a small London workshop in 1958. The pair, convinced their future paths lay in designing engines for racing cars, began working on the development of a Ford 105E unit almost immediately. Success followed and in 1960, Jim Clark drove to victory in a Cosworth-powered Lotus 18 in a Formula Junior race held at Goodwood. (http://www.formula1.com/news/features/2009/6/9494.html)
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Surtees, 18, dies after accident
ESPN.com news services
Henry Surtees, the teenage son of 1964 Formula One champion John Surtees, died on Sunday after an accident in a Formula Two race at Brands Hatch.
A spokeswoman for the Royal London hospital confirmed the 18-year-old had died after being flown there from Brands Hatch circuit in southern England.
Surtees was hit on the head by a loose wheel and tire from the car of a rival who had crashed.
Organizers said the blow knocked him unconscious, with his car then smashing into the barriers. The race was stopped immediately.
Formula Two chief executive Jonathan Palmer said in a statement that the accident raised "high levels of concern" and his thoughts were with the Surtees family.
Surtees had spent several seasons in karts before moving to car racing in 2006. In 2007, he moved into single seaters, winning in Formula BMW UK and finishing seventh in the season standings. He also raced some races in the Formula Renault series that year, before moving into the series full time in 2008. He finished 12th in the final standings. He had one win and three top three finishes in four races in the Winter Series.
John Surtees won his title with Ferrari and remains the only man to have won world titles on two wheels and four.
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Majorly harsh way to go. :(
R.I.P.
:prayers:
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The f2 cars are spec cars from williams and wheel tethers are part of the design. It looked as though the surtees car also lost a wheel in its impact. Apparently a car lost a wheel in a previous race this season, so the tethers have to be seen as an attempt to reduce a danger rather than eliminate it. That's a concern for everyone nearby.
I'm very sorry this happened.
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Alguersuari, 19, to be youngest in F1
Associated Press
FAENZA, Italy -- Toro Rosso named Spanish driver Jaime Alguersuari as its replacement for the fired Sebastien Bourdais on Monday.
The 19-year-old Alguersuari will become the youngest driver to take part in a Formula One race at this weekend's Hungarian Grand Prix.
The Barcelona native, a British Formula 3 champion, came up through Red Bull's young driver program and replaces Bourdais 10 races into the season.
Although owned by Red Bull, Toro Rosso races independently of the Austrian team.
"I would like to thank Red Bull for giving me this great opportunity to race in Formula One," said Alguersuari, who was promoted to reserve driver before the German GP, where reports first began to surface that he would replace Bourdais.
"I am aware that I'm facing a very tough challenge ... coming into Formula One in the middle of a season is even harder and doing so without any testing is really difficult."
He joins Sebastien Buemi, 20, to make up the youngest lineup on the starting grid.
The Italian team let Bourdais go last week, midway through his second season.
The 30-year-old Frenchman, a four-time Champ Car series winner, has threatened to sue Toro Rosso for breach of contract after it labeled his performance unsatisfactory. Bourdais picked up six points in 27 starts.
"I am well aware that over the next few months the team and Jaime will face a major challenge, especially because of the testing ban," team principal Franz Tost said. "But Red Bull is always ready for a new challenge."
Alguersuari had been racing in Renault's World Series this season.
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Castroneves seeks support for race
Associated Press
SAO PAULO -- Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves met with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva Monday to seek support for an Indy Racing League event in the South American nation next year.
Castroneves said the race would help Brazil promote its ethanol, which is being used in IRL cars.
The IRL has been racing with 100 percent ethanol fuel since 2007, and Brazil is the second largest ethanol producer in the world after the United States. It is also the largest exporter of the fuel.
Castroneves, who gave Silva the helmet he wore to win his third Indianapolis 500 in May, said the president promised that the federal government would do what it can to get the race to Brazil, which has five regular drivers in the series.
Terry Angstadt, president of IRL's commercial division, said last month it was 90 percent certain that a race would be held in Brazil.
The race would likely be the first of the season. The location has not been decided yet, but cities likely to host the event are Rio de Janeiro, Brasilia, Ribeirao Preto and Campinas, the official government news service Agencia Brasil said.
The last time Brazil hosted an Indy race was in 2000 in Rio de Janeiro.
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Belskus says leadership commits to IRL
Associated Press
INDIANAPOLIS -- Indianapolis Motor Speedway's new chief said Tuesday the Hulman-George family remains committed to the Indy Racing League following a management shake-up that put him in charge at the famed track.
Jeff Belskus said keeping the IRL strong will help buoy the track's top event, the Indianapolis 500.
"The Hulman-George family has made a huge investment in open wheel racing, and they intend to continue to pursue that and continue to try to grow it," the new president and chief executive officer of Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corp. said.
"We need the IndyCar series to be strong," said Belskus, who will take over daily management of the speedway on Aug. 6 when outgoing speedway president Joie Chitwood steps down. "Conversely, the IndyCar series needs a strong Indianapolis Motor Speedway. So we're all in this together." (http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/racing/indycar/news/story?id=4346018)
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Alguersuari to be youngest F1 driver
Associated Press
BUDAPEST, Hungary -- Jaime Alguersuari will become the youngest driver to race in Formula One this weekend, and is drawing criticism from fellow drivers about his inexperience even before the start of the Hungarian Grand Prix.
The 19-year-old Spaniard spoke to reporters Thursday for the first time since taking over for 30-year-old Frenchman Sebastien Bourdais. Alguersuari said his objective this season is to simply figure out what being an F1 driver is all about.
"I know I'm not really experienced, I know I don't have mileage with the car, but that's what we're here for," said Alguersuari, who joins from Renault's World Series. "It's a new car for me, a new championship for me, but I have to learn."
Alguersuari will set the age record Sunday at 19 years, 126 days, breaking New Zealand driver Mike Thackwell's mark by 57 days. (http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/racing/f1/news/story?id=4350920)
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Webber returning to Red Bull in 2010
Associated Press
BUDAPEST, Hungary -- Red Bull confirmed Thursday that Mark Webber will drive for the Formula One team in 2010, after a strong season has him third in the overall standings.
The 32-year-old Australian, who is coming off his first win after 132 races at the German Grand Prix, will partner Sebastian Vettel again next season.
"I've always enjoyed working with them so now, to come through this purple patch -- which we hope will continue for a good while to come -- makes the work even more enjoyable," Webber said from the Hungarian GP. "I'm looking forward to staying with the guys again next year."
Webber trails F1 leader Jenson Button of Brawn GP by 22.5 points. Vettel is second, 1.5 points ahead of his teammate. Red Bull trails Brawn GP by 19.5 points in the constructors' series with 80 points remaining.
"He has continued to show huge commitment and determination this season, especially following his bike accident at the end of last year," team principal Christian Horner said. "His results show he's on the form of his life."
Webber broke his leg among other injuries when he was hit by a car while riding a bicycle in Tasmania in November. After his victory at the Nuerburgring, he said his injuries still were not fully healed.
The former Jaguar and Williams driver debuted at the 2002 Australian Grand Prix. He joined Red Bull in 2007 and has already managed to eclipse his highest points total for a season -- 36 in 2005 with Williams.
"I've had a good relationship with the team and been through some pretty tough times together," Webber said. "Another 18 months together and then we'll see what happens next."
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Ganassi not likely to take on Patrick
By David Newton
ESPN.com
INDIANAPOLIS -- Chip Ganassi doesn't believe Danica Patrick should leave the IndyCar Series after this season to pursue a full-time ride in NASCAR.
"Her IndyCar career, she's about to make a step in that career if she decides to stay there," Ganassi said before Friday's Sprint Cup practice for the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. "She's got one more step to make, and that's it.
"As much as I love what's going on here this weekend, my counsel to her is she's pretty close to making that last step in IndyCar racing and she could easily do that in the next three or four or five years and still be able to do this." (http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/racing/indycar/news/story?id=4354086)
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Alonso wins pole in Hungary
Associated Press
BUDAPEST, Hungary -- Fernando Alonso took the pole position after a chaotic finish to qualifying Saturday at the Hungarian Grand Prix, where Ferrari's Felipe Massa was airlifted to a hospital following a high-speed accident.
The Renault driver's fastest lap of 1 minute, 21.596 seconds around the Hungaroring circuit was enough for the two-time world champion's first pole since the 2007 Italian GP.
Alonso was only confirmed as the pole sitter following a lengthy delay as all nine drivers in the final session awaited the results after the scoring system went down.
"When I got out of the car I asked other drivers how they did to get an idea," said Alonso, who picked up his first career win in Hungary six years ago. "Some were telling me two or three-tenths of a second slower than me so I got excited." (http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/racing/f1/news/story?id=4355418)
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Massa in hospital after qualifying crash
F1 Grand Prix, GP Hungary, Hungaroring
- Written by Tomba
On 25 Jul 2009, 15:15
Felipe Massa has been airlifted to hospital after suffering a very awkward crash during qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix. The Brazilian got his by a metallic part from Barrichello's Brawn GP car and violently hit the tyre barriers on the outside of Turn 4.
Just at the end of Q2 and while running a quick lap, the Brazilian got hit on the helmet by a metallic piece of the heave bar of Rubens Barrichello who has just passed turn 4.
It seems that the loose part broke loose of the car, shot up from the track and knocked Massa unconscious while he was approaching turn 4. The Brazilian's Ferrari continued straight on, went over the grass on the inside of the corner and then dived straight on into the tyre barrier on the outside of the high speed corner.
The Brazilian was conscious as he was moved to the helicopter. He is being transferred to a nearby hospital for a checkup.
So far it is not clear if Felipe will be ready to compete in tomorrow's Hungarian Grand Prix. (http://www.f1technical.net/news/12935)
http://www.f1technical.net/news/12935 (http://www.f1technical.net/news/12935)
Within the first 5 seconds you see on the left side of the screen where the piece of metal came flying right at him and hit him on his helmet. I'd have to think that it doesn't look that good for him to return for at least a couple of months, if not the rest of the season.
Formula 1 2009 Felipe Massa Hungary Terrible Incident, Hit on head by metal piece (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hfr29J4Xpo#lq-lq2-hq-vhq)
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Felipe Massa's condition has been described as "serious but stable" following emergency surgery after he suffered skull damage and concussion.
The Brazilian hit a tyre wall after a spring from Rubens Barrichello's car flew up and hit Massa's helmet during Hungarian Grand Prix qualifying.
The Associated Press news agency quoted a hospital spokesman as saying Massa's condition was "life-threatening".
But Ferrari denied the reports, insisting the operation was "positive".
The Italian team said Massa will remain under observation in intensive care and Ferrari will make a further statement on his condition on Sunday.
AEK military hospital medical director Peter Bazso added: "At the moment he's under anaesthetic and will be woken up on Sunday."
AP quoted a statement from the Hungarian defence department as saying: "At the time he was admitted to hospital his condition was stable and he was breathing and blood circulation was normal.
"During the course of his examination they established that he suffered a serious, life-threatening injuries including loss of consciousness and a fracture of the forehead on the left side and a fracture on the base of the skull."
Barrichello said on his Twitter feed that he had visited his compatriot Massa in hospital and the surgery "went very well. Now he is asleep waiting for a new scan tomorrow".
The incident comes days after Formula Two driver Henry Surtees, 18, was killed in what was described as a "freak" accident during a race at Brands Hatch.
The son of motorsport legend John Surtees was struck by a wheel which flew off a competitor's car.
Massa - winner of 11 grands prix in his career - did manage to briefly apply the brakes as went off the Hungaroring track before his car ploughed head on into a tyre wall at around 125mph.
The 28-year-old was swiftly attended to by trackside medics before being taken to the circuit's medical centre after which he was airlifted to hospital.
Barrichello later led the calls for more stringent safety measures to be looked into.
Referring to Surtees, the veteran Brazilian refused to believe the two incidents were coincidental.
"I honestly don't believe in coincidences in life," he said. "Things happen for a reason and I think this is the second message.
"Imola [where Ayrton Senna died in 1994] was a message and the cars were improved. Unfortunately, we lost a boy [Surtees], which is tremendously sad.
"It is not a coincidence something happened right now. In the GPDA (Grand Prix Drivers' Association) we talked quite a lot about it yesterday - and something needs to be done. Absolutely.
Something broke on my car - Barrichello
"But I don't know what. We need to sit down and have a look at it. I think the cars are a hell of a lot safer, really a lot safer, but there is no coincidence on this and something needs to be looked at."
Lewis Hamilton described the crash as "very scary" and said it must be looked into, while Jenson Button said it proved there "is still more we need to do on safety".
Button and Barrichello's team boss Ross Brawn said the team were "naturally concerned" about Massa's condition.
"We had a problem with the back of the car and we are still investigating," he added.
"We haven't had the piece back from [motorsport governing body] the FIA yet so once we get it back we can understand what occurred.
"It's the first time we've really had a problem with the car as it's been so reliable."
McLaren team boss Martin Whitmarsh added: "What happened today was a shock.
"We've got to make sure we do everything we can to make F1 as safe as it can be.
"But a spring coming off and being in a collision four seconds later is an incredible circumstance and coincidence.
"You have to remember that motor racing is dangerous and that racing drivers are incredibly brave. It's all too easy to become blase about that."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/8168807.stm (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/8168807.stm)
Here's hoping Maasa gets a speedy recovery. Just as well the brakes were applied before the crash.
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F1 called on to re-examine safety
Associated Press
BUDAPEST, Hungary -- Racing figures called on Formula One to re-examine safety procedures after Felipe Massa sustained life-threatening skull injuries in a high-speed accident during Hungarian Grand Prix qualifying.
The 28-year-old Ferrari driver was in stable condition in the intensive care unit of a military hospital following surgery on Saturday.
Massa slammed into the protective tire barriers at Hungaroring at a speed of about 120 mph after being struck in the helmet by a loose spring. The common car part had fallen out of the rear suspension of Rubens Barrichello's Brawn GP car.
It was the second accident in six days where track debris struck a driver in the helmet to cause an accident. F2 driver Henry Surtees died in an incident last Sunday.
"Things happen for a reason and I think this is the second message. Imola was a message," said Barrichello in reference to 1994's San Marino GP, where three-time champion Ayrton Senna died from a nearly identical accident as fellow Brazilian Massa. (http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/racing/f1/news/story?id=4356193)
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For anyone wondering, here's a pic of how much damage was done to Massa's helmet when he was hit by that flying piece of metal. Keeping it as a link, as it's a bit graphic (so you might not want to click it if you're easily squeamish).
http://img29.imageshack.us/img29/5033/755343g.jpg (http://img29.imageshack.us/img29/5033/755343g.jpg)
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Tire gaffe costs Renault one race
Associated Press
BUDAPEST, Hungary -- Renault has been suspended from the upcoming European Grand Prix after the latest in a string of safety mishaps to hit Formula One.
Renault was disciplined after Fernando Alonso's right front wheel came off his car and bounced wildly down the track as the pole-sitter rounded Turn 9 during the 13th lap of Sunday's Hungarian GP.
The incident came one day after safety was called into question when Felipe Massa of Ferrari was struck in the helmet by a stray part from another car and he slammed into a protective tire barrier at high speed during qualifying.
The Brazilian had surgery on multiple skull fractures and remained hospitalized in "life-threatening" but stable condition. (http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/racing/f1/news/story?id=4357000)
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(http://img40.imageshack.us/img40/3193/formulaw.jpg)
http://www.formula1.com/results/season/2009/815/ (http://www.formula1.com/results/season/2009/815/)
Räikkönen & Kovalainen :thumbsup
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Power grabs win; Kanaan burned
Associated Press
EDMONTON, Alberta -- Will Power led almost the entire way Sunday to capture the Rexall Edmonton Indy in a race marred by a pit fire that burned driver Tony Kanaan's hands and face.
Power, the first-year driver for Penske Racing, finished 1.094 seconds ahead of teammate Helio Castroneves.
Target Chip Ganassi driver Scott Dixon was third.
Kanaan, the Brazilian driver for Andretti Green, was injured on his first pit stop when the ethanol fuel pump filling his car appeared to not shut off properly, dousing him and his car in fuel.
Seconds later the car caught fire, with Kanaan frantically struggling to free himself as crews doused his No. 11 Dallara Honda with water. Kanaan later waved to the crowd as he was led away for medical tests.
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^
Damn, hope he's okay. This wasn't exactly the safest weekend if you were a race car driver. :o
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European GP wants Alonso in race
Associated Press
VALENCIA, Spain -- Organizers of the European Grand Prix want Formula One authorities to rescind Renault's suspension from the race so Fernando Alonso can compete in his native Spain.
Jorge Aspar, the vice president of Valmor Sports, believes Valencia fans are being unfairly punished for Renault's security mistakes.
Governing body FIA suspended the French team from the Aug. 23 event because it let Alonso leave the pit lane during Sunday's Hungarian Grand Prix despite having failed to properly secure a nut on his front right wheel. That wheel popped off the car as he rounded a turn, and continued to bounce wildly down the track.
F1 safety was called into question Saturday when Felipe Massa was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries after a stray car part struck him during qualifying.
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Candidate to lead F1 visits Massa
ESPN.com news services
BUDAPEST, Hungary -- Former Ferrari team principal Jean Todt visited the recovering Felipe Massa in the hospital on Tuesday, a day after his condition improved significantly following a high-speed crash.
Todt did not speak to reporters as he arrived at the AEK military hospital, where current team principal Stefano Domenicali also joined the driver's family.
Doctors said Monday that Massa was awake and breathing unassisted, able to move his limbs and answer questions.
"My expectation is that he would walk out of the hospital on his own," Peter Bazso, the medical director of the AEK hospital, told public television M1 on Tuesday. "If his recovery continues at this pace, I wouldn't rule out that he could leave within 10 days."
The Ferrari driver's condition remained serious, however, Bazso said. (http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/racing/f1/news/story?id=4360608)
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Doctor says Massa improving
Associated Press
BUDAPEST, Hungary -- Felipe Massa's doctor says the driver is increasingly alert and answering questions in three languages, and the head of the Ferrari team is encouraged about the possibility of the Brazilian returning to the track.
The 28-year-old driver was hit in the helmet by a loose part from another car and crashed into a tire barrier at 120 mph during qualifying Saturday at the Hungarian Grand Prix.
He is recuperating from surgery on multiple skull fractures, and doctors say he could be released as early as next week.
Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali visited Massa and his family in the hospital. Domenicali said the recovery would be a "step by step" process but sounded optimistic about Massa racing again.
"As soon as he will be back, that is his car," Domenicali said outside the hospital. "For me it was incredible to see a fantastic improvement after just three days."
Family doctor Dino Altman on Tuesday described the racer as "more alert than he was before" and "improving continuously," adding that Massa was responding to questions in three languages.
Altman gave assurances about Massa's vision in his left eye, which was injured in the accident.
"Yes, he can see with his left eye," Altman said. "He knows what's right and left so his left eye has no problems. His eyesight is OK."
Doctors said Massa was awake and breathing unassisted, able to move his limbs and having brief conversations with family members and the medical staff.
Peter Bazso, medical director of the AEK hospital, said his condition could still deteriorate, but that risk is "diminishing day by day." Bazso added it was possible to fully recover from such injuries.
Former Ferrari team principal Jean Todt also visited Massa on Tuesday, a day after the driver's condition improved significantly.
F1's governing body is investigating the accident. Todt is a candidate to become president of the organization when Max Mosley steps down in October.
Meanwhile, a representative for Michael Schumacher says the seven-time Formula One champion would consider coming out of retirement if Ferrari asked him to drive for Massa. Doctors say Massa will not race again this season.
Spokeswoman Sabine Kehm told the German news agency DPA on Tuesday that "if Ferrari approaches Michael, he would think about it."
Schumacher holds nearly every record in Formula One and retired after the 2006 season. Manager Willi Weber said after the Hungarian Grand Prix that Schumacher had no intention of returning.
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Team says Massa improving
Reuters
LONDON -- Ferrari's Felipe Massa will leave intensive care on Wednesday after taking his first steps since he fractured his skull in a crash at last weekend's Hungarian Grand Prix, the Formula One team said.
The team said on its Web site that the Brazilian driver's condition was improving steadily at Budapest's AEK military hospital.
"The driver has had more exams carried out, confirming his continuing improvement," the team said. "Felipe speaks, can sit upright and was even able to take his first steps. Today he will leave intensive care."
Massa underwent emergency surgery on Saturday after being flown to the hospital in what doctors said was a life-threatening condition.
The 28-year-old was hit on the helmet during qualifying by a two-pound metal spring the size of a Coke can, which fell off compatriot Rubens Barrichello's Brawn car and bounced down the track.
"From the clinical and radiological point of view everything is going extremely well," Ferrari said. "Felipe will stay at the AEK hospital for the next few days, until he can be taken somewhere else."
Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo, who went to Massa's bedside on Monday when the Brazilian was under sedation, was flying back to Budapest to greet him.
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Ferrari planning to substitute Schumacher for Massa
Ferrari announced on Wednesday that they plan to draft in Michael Schumacher to replace the injured Felipe Massa at forthcoming Grands Prix, until the Brazilian is able to race again. The seven-times world champion, who retired from Formula One racing at the end of 2006, will undergo a special training programme over the next few days to confirm he is fit enough to compete in next month’s European Grand Prix.
"The most important thing first: thank God, all news concerning Felipe is positive,” said Schumacher. “I wish him all the best again. I was meeting this afternoon with (Ferrari team principal) Stefano Domenicali and (chairman) Luca di Montezemolo and together we decided that I will prepare myself to take the place of Felipe.
“Though it is true that the Formula One chapter has been completely closed for me for a long time, it is also true that for reasons of loyalty to the team I cannot ignore this unfortunate situation. But as the competitor I am I also very much look forward to facing this.” Schumacher has not driven Ferrari’s current F60 in anger and last tested for the Italian team, with whom he won five world titles, back in April 2008.
http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2009/7/9703.html (http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2009/7/9703.html)
WB Michael!
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There's probably no one better suited/qualified to step in for Ferrari at this moment. It'll be interesting to see how well he does after having been away.
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BMW pulling out of F1
ESPN.com news services
MUNICH -- BMW is pulling out of Formula One at the end of this season, the second carmaker to leave the series within a year.
The German company announced the decision at a news conference Wednesday, saying it wanted to use its significant F1 budget in other areas. It will remain involved in auto racing.
Since entering F1 as a team by taking over the Sauber team ahead of the 2006 season -- it had previously acted as an engine supplier -- BMW had posted just one race win, at last year's Canadian Grand Prix.
Touted as a championship contender for the 2009 season, BMW lagged well behind the pace of the leading teams.
"Of course, this was a difficult decision for us. But it's a resolute step in view of our company's strategic realignment," BMW chairman Norbert Reithofer said at the news conference. (http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/racing/f1/news/story?id=4363004)
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Ouch. Wonder if Peter Sauber will try and keep the team running with a new sponsor?
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Doctor says Massa up and about
Associated Press
BUDAPEST, Hungary -- Felipe Massa is already planning a return to racing and joking about keeping Michael Schumacher away from his car as he recovers from a high-speed crash.
Massa's family doctor Dino Altman said Thursday the Brazilian driver was eating and walking around his hospital room.
He also appeared to have no problem in the left eye, which doctors feared had been badly injured in the crash during qualifying Saturday for the Hungarian Grand Prix.
"He is back to normal," Altman said.
Massa has been recuperating at the AEK hospital in Budapest after undergoing surgery on multiple skull fractures. The 28-year-old driver was hit in the helmet by a loose part from another car and crashed into a protective tire barrier.
Doctors have ruled out a return to Formula One this season, but Altman said Massa was already sending signals to Michael Schumacher that his comeback may be short-lived.
Ferrari announced Wednesday that the German seven-time F1 champion would come out of retirement to replace Massa until he is fit to return, starting with the European GP on Aug. 21-23, in Valencia, Spain.
"He has no fear at all," Altman told reporters outside the hospital. "He thinks he will be able to race in Valencia."
Altman said no decision had been made about transferring Massa from Budapest. Massa's father, Luiz Antonio, said Wednesday he was expecting Massa to be transferred to a hospital in Paris soon.
Gerard Saillant, a French doctor who works closely with Formula One's governing body FIA, also visited Massa on Thursday.
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Renault appeals Grand Prix ban
Associated Press
LONDON -- The French Motorsport Federation has lodged an appeal on behalf of Renault against the team's suspension from the next Formula One Grand Prix.
Governing body FIA suspended the French team from the upcoming European Grand Prix for allowing Fernando Alonso to leave the pit lane with his wheel not securely fastened during Sunday's race in Hungary.
The wheel popped off the two-time world champion's car as he rounded a turn, and bounced wildly down the track.
The International Court of Appeal will hear the case Aug. 17 in Paris and the decision is expected to be announced the following day.
The next race is Aug. 23 in Valencia.
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Doctor: Massa headed home
ESPN.com news services
BUDAPEST -- Injured Formula One driver Felipe Massa is doing "very well" and will be flown back to Brazil on Monday, his personal physician said on Friday.
"Felipe continues to improve. He is doing very well and we already decided to go back home on Monday," physician Dino Altman told reporters in front of Budapest's AEK military hospital.
"I think this decision says all you need to know [about his condition]," he added.
Altmann said Massa, last year's championship runner-up, needs rest. The plan is that he will return to Formula One, but no timetable has yet been set.
Altman said that Massa is "in a good mood and in good shape" and wants to race again as soon as possible. He didn't reveal how long Massa's full recovery would take but said the Brazilian would not need "special treatment" to overcome his injuries.
Massa, 28, fractured his skull in an accident during qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix.
He spent several days in an induced coma and on a respirator but was released from an intensive care unit at the Budapest hospital on Wednesday.
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Turbo button can be used 20 times
Associated Press
SPARTA, Ky. -- IndyCar has had it with the parades.
Following a string of largely uninspiring races, particularly on ovals, the open-wheel series is borrowing a page from video games in an effort to shake things up.
The series will unveil the "Push to Pass" button during Saturday night's race at Kentucky, one of a handful of changes officials hope provide more thrills and fewer yawns over the season's final six races.
Competitive racing has been almost nonexistent on the ovals, where the majority of the races have turned into nothing but two-hour processionals.
The circuit's last visit to an oval at Richmond in June featured so little passing drivers ended up apologizing to fans afterward. (http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/racing/indycar/news/story?id=4370526)
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Drainage problem stops qualifying
Associated Press
SPARTA, Ky. -- Drainage problems have wiped out qualifying for Saturday's IndyCar race at Kentucky.
The 23-car field was set on Friday; season points leader Scott Dixon will start from the pole, with Target Chip Ganassi teammate Dario Franchitti starting on the outside of row 1.
A series of storms this week dumped more than five inches of rain on the track, and water kept seeping through the concrete throughout the day. Crews spent most of the day scrambling to keep the track dry.
Dixon won last year's race at Kentucky when Helio Castroneves ran out of gas on the final lap.
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Schumacher pays Massa a visit
Associated Press
BUDAPEST, Hungary -- Michael Schumacher visited injured Formula One driver Felipe Massa on Saturday at the Hungarian hospital where the Brazilian is recovering from injuries suffered during last weekend's high-speed crash.
Schumacher, who is coming out of retirement to replace Massa at Ferrari, left the AEK hospital with former Ferrari boss Jean Todt. He did not talk to reporters, but later posted a message about the visit on his Web site.
"Good that I finally made it to see Felipe, I feel better now," Schumacher wrote. "I am surprised at his extreme positive condition, as the accident was only one week ago. We sat together for around three hours and were chatting with each other."
The seven-time world champion, who retired in 2006, tested a 2007 version of the Ferrari F1 car at an Italian track on Friday.
"I have to say that today I feel muscles I was not even aware anymore they exist," Schumacher said. "But then it was clear that you cannot test for a day after such a lot of time without feeling anything, and I am curious to see what will happen in the coming days."
Massa's family doctor, Dino Altman, said Saturday that the Brazilian was "doing well" and was "anxious to go home." According to Altman, Massa will fly home to Sao Paulo in a private jet on Monday.
Massa said Thursday that he was thinking about racing again, but Altman said he did not know how soon the runner-up to Lewis Hamilton in the 2008 Formula One championship could return to the track.
"There's no hurry to bring him back to drive," Altman said. "The most important [thing] is to have him fully recovered, in a safe situation."
The 28-year-old Massa underwent surgery on multiple skull fractures after he was hit in the helmet by a loose part from another car and crashed into a protective tire barrier during qualifying at the Hungarian Grand Prix last Saturday.
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Massa flying home to Brazil on Monday
Associated Press
SAO PAULO -- Ferrari driver Felipe Massa is on the mend with only some swelling near his left eye and will fly home to Brazil on Monday nine days after fracturing his skull in a high-speed crash in Hungary.
He will travel on a medical plane with his wife Raffaela, who is six months pregnant with their first child, and family doctor Dino Altmann. They are expected in Sao Paulo on Monday night. Massa's parents and his brother flew back Sunday.
"Thank God, I'm feeling very well," Massa said Sunday in a statement. "I only have a bit of swelling in the region of my left eye. I'm anxious to return to Brazil and continue the recovery process."
Massa will be transported by helicopter from the Sao Paulo airport to a hospital, where he is expected to have further tests. He will probably stay there about two days before going home.
The 28-year-old Brazilian has said he was thinking about returning to Formula One as early as the next race, the European Grand Prix on Aug. 23 at Valencia, Spain. But he said Sunday his return might be some time away.
"It is important to be fully recovered before returning to the track," he said.
Massa underwent surgery on multiple skull fractures after he was hit in the helmet by a loose part from another car. He crashed into a tire barrier during qualifying at the Hungarian GP on Aug. 25.
He will be replaced at Ferrari by seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher, who visited Massa on Saturday at his Budapest hospital.
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Massa en route home 9 days after crash
Associated Press
BUDAPEST, Hungary -- Ferrari driver Felipe Massa is on his way home to Brazil, nine days after a life-threatening crash during qualifying at the Hungarian Grand Prix.
Massa is expected to arrive in Sao Paulo on Monday evening, accompanied on a private jet by his wife, Raffaela, who is six months pregnant with their first child, and family doctor Dino Altman.
"Many things have happened over the last days and I want to get back to a normal life," Massa said in an interview on Ferrari's Web site. "I want to get back into the best possible condition -- doing things you do every day."
Massa, who said he was feeling well aside from some swelling around his damaged left eye, left the AEK military hospital where he was being treated and will be transported in a helicopter from Sao Paulo airport to a local hospital.
He is expected to undergo further tests there and is likely to stay for about two days before being allowed to return to his home.
The 28-year-old Massa underwent surgery on multiple skull fractures after he was hit in the helmet by a loose part from another car and crashed into a protective tire barrier on July 25.
He will be replaced at Ferrari by record seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher, who visited Massa on Saturday at his Budapest hospital and is coming out of retirement to race.
"Michael doesn't need my advice," Massa said. "It was him who gave me many tips during my career when we were racing together. He knows how to win, he knows how to drive and he's great.
"It was the best choice handing over the car to such a fantastic person and I'm sure that everybody will be happy to see him back on the track again -- although I hope I'll be back on the track with Ferrari as soon as possible."
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Piquet cites 'worst period of career'
Associated Press
SAO PAULO -- Nelson Piquet Jr. says he has been fired from Renault and blamed team principal Flavio Briatore for his failure to achieve significant results in Formula 1.
Piquet says he's disappointed with Renault's decision, but at the same time was relieved to put an end to "the worst period of my career."
Piquet said in a statement Monday that the "black period" of his career began when he signed a management contract with Briatore, who "threatened" him instead of supporting him. He called Briatore his "executioner."
The Brazilian driver's best finish in 28 races was second at the German Grand Prix in 2008.
He said he is already considering his options to remain in F1 with another team.
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Ferrari displeased with opposition
Reuters
ROME -- Ferrari vented its frustration at rivals Williams and Red Bull on Tuesday after the teams said they were opposed to Michael Schumacher testing injured Brazilian Felipe Massa's F60 car.
Seven-times world champion Schumacher, who retired in 2006, is set to fill in for Ferrari while Massa recovers.
Formula One regulations do not allow track testing during the season, although Ferrari had hoped other teams would allow an exception after Massa fractured his skull in an accident at Hungarian Grand Prix qualifying last month.
"Guess who opposed the test with the F60?" Ferrari said on its Web site.
"A team that hasn't won anything for years and yet didn't pass over the opportunity to demonstrate once more a lack of spirit of fair play."
Williams last won the constructors championship in 1997, when Canada's Jacques Villeneuve topped the driver's standings for them.
Ferrari also hit back at Williams' and Red Bull's argument that Schumacher should be treated no differently than Spanish teenager Jaime Alguersuari, who was unable to track-test his car before his F1 debut for Toro Rosso in Hungary.
"Just for the record, the Scuderia Ferrari had given its approval to let Alguersuari test, but it seems even in this instance someone decided to stick to the precise wording of the regulations," it said.
Seven-times world champion Schumacher completed 70 laps in a 2007 version Ferrari at Mugello near Florence last Friday.
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Schumacher still has twinge in neck
Associated Press
FRANKFURT -- Seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher says he is slimming down for his Formula One comeback and the only problem is a little neck pain.
Schumacher's first race is expected to be the European Grand Prix in Valencia on Aug. 23. The 40-year-old is returning to his Ferrari team while Felipe Massa recovers from a recent crash.
"I already lost three kilograms [nearly seven pounds] even if it is also important to me to build up muscles. So all in all, the practice works pretty well," Schumacher wrote on his Web site Tuesday.
Schumacher had a motorcycle crash in February and suffered neck injury.
"I only have to admit that my neck pinches a bit. We have to get a grip on that as health has priority -- that's the clear arrangement made with Ferrari and, by the way, with my wife, too," said Schumacher, whose comeback is contingent on passing a medical checkup.
Neck injuries are particularly problematic for F1 drivers because of the enormous strain on their necks caused by the high G-forces they must endure during high-speed cornering.
Despite his neck pain, the German declared he was eager to get back on the track.
"I really would like to thank all my fans who keep their fingers crossed for my plans for all the positive feedback. It's incredible how much support I get from all over the world," said Schumacher, who retired in 2006.
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Doornbos returns to HVM Racing
Associated Press
INDIANAPOLIS -- Robert Doornbos has been rehired by IndyCar team HVM Racing.
The Dutch driver also drove for HVM in 2007, when he won Champ Car's Rookie of the Year award. In 2007, HVM was known as Team Minardi USA. Doornbos won two races that season and finished third in points.
The move gives HVM two cars the rest of this season and all of next season. Doornbos will drive the No. 33 car and will race this weekend at Mid-Ohio. E.J. Viso drives the team's other car.
The 27-year-old Doornbos made 12 starts in IndyCars this season for Newman/Haas/Lanigan and had four top-10 finishes. He was 28th at the series biggest event, the Indianapolis 500.
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Michael Schumacher cancels F1-Comeback
Consequences of bike-injuries make return impossible
"Yesterday evening, I had to inform Ferrari President Luca di Montezemolo and Team Principal Stefano Domenicali that unfortunately I'm not able to step in for Felipe. I really tried everything to make that temporary comeback possible, however, much to my regret it didn't work out. Unfortunately we did not manage to get a grip on the pain in the neck which occurred after the private F1-day in Mugello, even if medically or therapeutically we tried everything possible."
http://www.michael-schumacher.de/?page=news&story_id=82524&lang=uk (http://www.michael-schumacher.de/?page=news&story_id=82524&lang=uk)
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Aw bummer. :(
Even if he ended up not being competitive, his presence would have helped give F1 a decent boost in terms of attendance and attention (which it couldn't hurt to have). Hard part now is finding another person to step in for the second Ferrari seat.
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Qualifying - Hamilton heads a McLaren one-two
McLaren confirmed their re-emergence in Valencia on Saturday afternoon as Lewis Hamilton and Heikki Kovalainen set the fastest times to wrap up the front row of the grid for the European Grand Prix. Kovalainen was on course to take pole but made a small error on the last corner and failed to beat Hamilton’s 1m 39.498s best. The Finn's earlier 1m 39.532s was enough for second, however.
Rubens Barrichello confirmed Brawn GP’s return to form with the third fastest time of 1m 39.563s, with team mate Jenson Button fifth on 1m 39.821s. It was Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel who found himself the meat in the Brawn sandwich. After his engine failure this morning, the German was able to lap his Red Bull in 1m 39.789s for the other second-row slot.
Kimi Raikkonen made a late improvement to sixth for Ferrari on 1m 40.144s, and will be a dangerman at the start with his KERS.
Behind the Finn, Nico Rosberg took seventh for Williams with 1m 40.185s, ahead of Renault’s Fernando Alonso on 1m 40.236s, Red Bull’s Mark Webber on 1m 40.239s and BMW Sauber’s Robert Kubica on 1m 40.512s.
Q2 weeded out Nick Heidfeld in the second BMW Sauber, who lapped in 1m 38.826s (Barrichello was quickest in 1m 38.076s so the times were very close), and Adrian Sutil was on his tail in the Force India with 1m 38.846s. Timo Glock was 13th for Toyota with 1m 38.991s. Romain Grosjean looked promising on his Formula One debut and was 14th in the second Renault on 1m 39.040s, comfortably ahead of Sebastien Buemi who wheeled the lead Toro Rosso round in 1m 39.514s for 15th.
Q1 accounted for Force India’s Giancarlo Fisichella, Williams’ Kazuki Nakajima, Toyota’s Jarno Trulli, Toro Rosso’s Jaime Alguersuari and Ferrari’s Luca Badoer, as Button set the pace with 1m 39.531s.
Fisichella lapped in 1m 39.531s, while Nakajima had worked down to 1m 39.795s before going off the road. Trulli’s best was 1m 39.807s, and Alguersuari lapped in 1m 39.925s (a second off Buemi’s time in the session). At the back, Badoer’s return was not impressive. The oldest man in the field lapped the second Ferrari in 1m 41.413s.
http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2009/8/9785.html (http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2009/8/9785.html)
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F1 to resume in Montreal after accord
Associated Press
MONTREAL -- Formula One is set to return to Montreal next year.
The sport's governing body and Grand Prix F1 du Canada Inc. have settled a financial dispute that began last fall and led to the cancellation of the 2009 Canadian Grand Prix.
Local promoter Normand Legault says an announcement that Montreal is back on the F1 schedule is "forthcoming." He says he has no plans to be involved in staging future editions of the race.
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Sweet! :twothumbs
EDIT: For the news posted below, DOUBLE SWEET!
:twothumbs :twothumbs
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Lotus team to be based in Malaysia
Associated Press
PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia -- Lotus is returning to Formula One racing.
FIA, the sport's governing body, on Tuesday awarded Lotus the 13th spot on the grid for the 2010 season.
Lotus has been out of F1 since 1994. The team, initially based in Norfolk, England, near the Lotus car factory, is funded by a partnership between the Malaysian government and a consortium of Malaysian businessmen.
The team headquarters is expected to relocate to a facility at Sepang International Circuit, home of the Malaysian Grand Prix for the past 11 years. (http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/racing/f1/news/story?id=4474679)
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Briatore steps down amid scandal
ESPN.com news services
LONDON -- Renault parted company with flamboyant Formula One team boss Flavio Briatore and his deputy Pat Symonds on Wednesday after accepting allegations that last year's Singapore Grand Prix was fixed.
The two men were due to appear before the governing FIA in Paris on Monday to face charges, unprecedented even in a sport often mired in controversy, that the team ordered Brazilian Nelson Piquet Jr. to crash deliberately to help Spanish teammate Fernando Alonso win.
Renault said in a statement it would not dispute the allegations. (http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/racing/f1/news/story?id=4477256)
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Whoa...no more Flavio. :O
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Swiss group buying BMW Sauber
Associated Press
MUNICH -- Swiss-based foundation Qadbak Investments Ltd. will buy the BMW Sauber Formula One team under an agreement signed Tuesday.
BMW AG gave no financial details of the sale, but said that the foundation "represents the interests of certain Middle East and European-based families."
It did not elaborate but said that Qadbak's interest in the Hinwil, Switzerland-based team will be represented by a Swiss national, Lionel Fischer.
BMW announced earlier this year that it was pulling out of the sport in 2010.
Earlier Tuesday, Formula One's governing body turned down an application from BMW Sauber for a place on the grid next season -- noting that BMW's previous announcement left uncertainties about the team's future ownership.
However, it said the team had made a "high quality" application and that it would be entitled to fill any vacancy that arises.
"We are pleased to confirm that the FIA has indicated that we may have a place in the 2010 Formula One World Championship," BMW said in a statement. "The team expects to line up on the grid for the first race of the 2010 season."
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Renault to be punished Monday
Associated Press
PARIS -- The Renault Formula One team will learn its fate Monday at a hearing into how its former driver Nelson Piquet Jr. was ordered by management to deliberately crash his car, a life-threatening move that further tarnishes a sport rocked by scandals and cheating.
F1 has been shaken by the news that Renault ordered its struggling Brazilian driver to plow his car into a concrete wall so that teammate Fernando Alonso could win the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix.
Renault faces a points deduction, suspension or even exclusion from the championship at the FIA's Paris headquarters on Monday. It is unclear who will represent them at the World Motor Sport Council hearing. (http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/racing/f1/news/story?id=4489769)
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FIA reinstates Canadian Grand Prix
Associated Press
PARIS -- FIA ratified its calendar for the 2010 season Monday and reinstated the Canadian Grand Prix, provided contract negotiations with Formula One management are completed.
The Canadian Grand Prix had been held at the Montreal track annually since 1978 before being dropped this season.
There will be 19 races in 2010. The world championship will start March 14 with the Bahrain GP, which replaced the Australian Grand Prix as the season's opener, FIA said in a statement. The Australian race will follow March 28.
If FIA and the Canadian organizers fail to reach a deal, the Turkish Grand Prix, which is scheduled for May 30, will be moved to June 6.
The Canadian Grand Prix is scheduled for June 13.
Montreal was dropped from the 2009 F1 calendar after negotiations with race organizers collapsed. F1 wanted $175 million to keep the Montreal race on the 2009 schedule but organizers and the government balked.
Earlier this month, local promoter Normand Legault announced that the two sides had settled their financial dispute.
South Korea will host its first Grand Prix Oct. 17 before the last two races of the season, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Oct. 31 and the Brazilian Grand Prix, which is scheduled for Nov. 14.
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FIA reinstates Canadian Grand Prix
I say again...
Sweet! :twothumbs
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Report: Patrick re-signs with AGR
Associated Press
MOTEGI, Japan -- Danica Patrick agreed to a three-year contract to remain at Andretti Green Racing and stay in the IndyCar Series, according to a report in the Indianapolis Star.
Patrick, who became the first woman to win a major open-wheel race when she took last year's Indy Japan, is finishing her fifth season in the IndyCar series and is fifth in points. She's been rumored to be considering a move to NASCAR and still could compete in a limited number of races.
The newspaper was unable to reach Patrick for comment.
The IndyCar Series season finale is Oct. 10 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Jeff Belskus, the president and CEO of Indianapolis Motor Speedway, said the 27-year-old drive
"I know she has said winning the Indianapolis 500 is important to her and that it's a lifelong dream to win that race," Belskus said at the Indy Japan 300.
Patrick finished sixth at this year's Indy Japan, which was won by Scott Dixon.
NASCAR star Tony Stewart said this month that he has no doubts that Patrick will eventually make the jump to stock cars. They've talked frequently about what it would take for Patrick to go from open-wheel racing to the heavier cars.
Stewart said Friday at Dover International Speedway that he had not talked to Patrick abou
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Brawn didn't do too well during the Singapore qualifying, but I'm hoping they'll continue to dominate this season. Hamilton is on pole, so if Brawn can't win, I'd at least like to see Hamilton get another win. He's been doing poorly this season.
In other racing news, don't forget that the WRC continues next week and then the end of Oct. for the final rally championship. Also, here's hoping that the FIA GT Ford GT GT1 will be competitive during the next rule changes and that the new C6R GT2 will dominate this class just like they did GT1.
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What the? You guys been living under a rock?! :lol:
[size=8]Button wins F1[/size]
(http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2009/10/18/article-0-06DFA1E8000005DC-499_468x300.jpg)
Good to see him win it. Damn, Championship winner, receiving critical plaudits and has a smoking hot girlfriend to boot. :banghead:
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^
His results in the second half of the season have petered out a bit compared to the first half, but hey, he still got the job done. Congrats Jenson! :thumbsup
Add that Brawn GP won the Constructors Championship in their debut season! First time that's happened! :rockon:
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awesome season... is a shame that i actually couldn't watch any of the races :(
(http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/5343/jensonbuttonandjessiami.jpg)
i guess is all true that all sportsman have the hottest girlfriends
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Real glad Button won, but I'm looking forward to the next race. Here's to hoping Barrichello will beat Vettel in points to give Brawn GP a 1-2 overall. :twothumbs It's always nice to see all the hardcore Ferrari fans butthurt. :twisted:
Don't forget that the final WRC race will be on this weekend. Loeb will most likely win, but it'll be entertaining none-the-less.
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i guess is all true that all sportsman have the hottest girlfriends
True, but how many of them can say their girlfriend has her own JPH!P thread? :rockon:
http://forum.jphip.com/index.php?topic=10968.0 (http://forum.jphip.com/index.php?topic=10968.0)
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And with the completion of today's inaugural Abu Dhabi GP, the 2009 F1 season is officially over. Once again, props to Jenson Button and the team over at BRAWN GP for surprising the hell out of a lot of people (yours truly included) by showing that with with good connections, hard work and proper preparation, you can be BOTH the new team on the block and competitive.
Some things to look forward to for next season:
- the debut of Team US F1: regrettably, Formula 1 hasn't been as popular in the U.S. as it has been throughout the rest of the world. with luck, the establishment of an American-based team might help change all that. Good luck to the new team, and in particular, team principal Peter Windsor (who many people would know as being a big part of SPEED TV's F1 coverage team as their on-track reporter).
US F1 Official site (http://www.usgpe.com/)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Team_US_F1 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Team_US_F1)
Other new teams next seasons include:
a) the Campos Meta F1 team, definitely one to watch seeing as one of it's drivers is Bruno Senna, son of the late, great, legendary Aryton Senna.
Campos Meta F1 Official site (http://www.camposmeta.com/)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Campos_Grand_Prix (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Campos_Grand_Prix)
b) the returning LOTUS F1 team, which last participated in F1 in 1994
LOTUS F1 Official site (http://lotusf1racing.my/)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lotus_F1_Team (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lotus_F1_Team)
c) the MANOR Grand Prix team, known for previous success in Formula 3
MANOR GP Official site (http://www.manorgp.com/)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manor_Grand_Prix (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manor_Grand_Prix)
Amongst the rule changes that are supposed to take place next season, the one that draws my interest the most is the "no refueling during the race" rule. It's definitely going to affect how the cars are built and designed, not to mention how they're physically balanced and how well they actually run. Definitely also going to look forward to see what happens with the massive game of "musical chairs" that several drivers will be playing during the off-season.
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Loeb will most likely win, but it'll be entertaining none-the-less.
When that branch was stuck in his windscreen whipper, I've never seen him so pissed :lol: He must've felt the pressure. Great driving by all, but I'm glad Loeb won again. My RC car looks like his Xsara :lol:
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Some pretty big news previews/teasers comin' up. :shocked
Mercedes takes over Brawn
By Edd Straw
Monday, November 16th 2009, 12:09 GMT
Mercedes-Benz has announced that it has taken over the Brawn Formula 1 team and re-named it Mercedes Grand Prix after buying a 75.1 per cent stake in the squad.
The German car giant will retain its role as McLaren's engine supplier until at least 2015, but will sell its 40 per cent stake in the squad back to the team over the next two years.
"Mercedes will compete in the F1 world championship next year starting with its own factory team," said head of Mercedes cars, Dr Dieter Zetsche.
"This is possible by the agreed acquisition of 75.1 per cent of Brawn GP, 45.1 per cent from Daimler and 30 per cent from our partner Aabar Investments. The rest will be with the current share - Ross Brawn, Nick Fry and other members. The interests of Daimler are aligned therefore it will be a true Mercedes-Benz team.
FULL ARTICLE LINK - http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/80174 (http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/80174)
Button closing on McLaren switch
By Edd Straw
Tuesday, November 17th 2009, 09:24 GMT
World champion Jenson Button is closing on a switch to McLaren-Mercedes in a deal that should be completed later this week.
The 29-year-old Briton is understood to have emerged as a McLaren target after negotiations to bring Kimi Raikkonen back to the team stalled over pay demands.
A report in The Guardian on Tuesday said that following a visit to the team's Woking base last week, further negotiations have taken place.
Sources have confirmed to AUTOSPORT that while no deal has yet been signed, Button is likely to commit to the team within the next few days.
It is understood that the deal has not yet been agreed by Button, although with little hope of remaining at the rebranded Mercedes Grand Prix team, it is unlikely that he would turn down the chance to join one of the most successful teams in the history of the sport.
FULL ARTICLE LINK - http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/80178 (http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/80178)
Raikkonen to take a sabbatical in 2010
By Jonathan Noble
Tuesday, November 17th 2009, 23:55 GMT
Former world champion Kimi Raikkonen will take a sabbatical from Formula 1 next year, his manager has revealed, following the collapse of talks with McLaren about a deal for 2010.
Raikkonen said last month that, in the wake of being released from his Ferrari contract, his only option to remain in F1 was with McLaren - because he wanted to be guaranteed a top-line grand prix car.
However, amid increasing speculation that Jenson Button is on his way to the British team, Raikkonen's manager Steve Robertson revealed on Tuesday night that discussions with McLaren had come to an end.
"The options in F1 were with McLaren next season or not at all," Robertson was quoted as saying by respected Finnish newspaper Turun Sanomat, which has close links with the Raikkonen camp. "Kimi and McLaren were unable to reach an agreement, so he will not drive at the F1 level - at least not next year.
FULL ARTICLE LINK - http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/80187 (http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/80187)
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http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/20/breaking-schumacher-likely-to-return-to-f1-racing-with-mercedes/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+weblogsinc%2Fautoblog+%28Autoblog%29&utm_content=Google+Feedfetcher (http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/20/breaking-schumacher-likely-to-return-to-f1-racing-with-mercedes/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+weblogsinc%2Fautoblog+%28Autoblog%29&utm_content=Google+Feedfetcher)
BREAKING: Schumacher likely to return to F1 racing with Mercedes
Say it ain't so, Schu! The Daily Telegraph is reporting that seven-time World Champion Michael Schumacher is close to signing on with the newly formed Mercedes Formula 1 team. Mercedes is the new name of the former Brawn GP team, the current Constructors Champion. After a stellar rookie season that saw this former Honda team clinch not just the Constructors Championship, but also the Drivers Championship for Jenson Button, they had a bit of a dropoff as Button bolted for rival McLaren.
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Raikkonen-Citroen WRC deal confirmed
By Forumula1.net on Friday, December 4, 2009
Kimi Raikkonen will be joining Citroen’s WRC effort next season, as predicted by many of his fans. Raikkonen made his rally debut early this year in a Punto Abarth, impressing many with his performance, and it is well documented that the Finn has said would like to try his hand and rallying, therefore today’s news comes as little surprise. Raikkonen will be driving in a Red Bull Citroen along with former Junior WRC champion Sebasiten Ogier, who already has one full WRC season under his belt. “I always wanted to compete in rally, especially in the World Rally Championship at some point in my career,” said Raikkonen.
“Thanks to Red Bull, I have the opportunity to drive the best car of the series with the Citroen C4. This is a new but very exciting challenge. “For the moment we have a one-year contract and we will see how it goes for the future,” Raikkonen said. “I am really looking forward to testing the car and taking the start of the first rally.” Both Raikkonen and Ogier will be competing in just 12 of the 13 WRC rounds, skipping the New Zealand event.
http://www.forumula1.net/2009/f1/f1-news/raikkonen-citroen-wrc-deal-confirmed/ (http://www.forumula1.net/2009/f1/f1-news/raikkonen-citroen-wrc-deal-confirmed/)
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Ladies and Gentlemen, it apparently IS confirmed
Michael Schumacher will return to F1 in 2010
ESPNF1 Staff - December 23, 2009
(http://img138.imageshack.us/img138/4448/7802.jpg)
Mercedes GP has confirmed Michael Schumacher as its driver for next season, in a deal he said was three years long and believed to be worth €7 million (US$10 million).
The much-anticipated move will reunite Schumacher, who turns 41 in January, with team principal Ross Brawn, with whom he has secured all seven of his world championships. He will be part of an all-German team with 24-year-old Nico Rosberg, who agreed a deal with Mercedes last month.
"The motivation I think is pretty straightforward," Schumacher said. "Our aim can only be to fight for the championship. We are talking about a three-year deal, it is not a one-off thing. We are obviously looking for continuity.
"The call I got from Ross at the end of November concerning the chance to go racing, Mercedes being involved, I felt great. I never left the race track. I was tired of F1 by the end of 2006, but in three years of absence I got back all the energy that I am feeling right now. I played around with motorbikes and I feel ready for some serious stuff now."
Schumacher was expected to return with Ferrari last year as a replacement for the injured Felipe Massa. But his comeback was cancelled after a neck injury, sustained in a motorbike test in February, turned out to be more serious than previously thought. He has recently undergone extensive medical tests, and has now declared himself fit to race.
"It is obviously a topic that I understand is questioned, and I want to understand," Schumacher said when asked about his neck. "Before I gave a final okay I made sure that I was sure myself, and I can say 100% the neck is no further issue. Unfortunately it was too close to the accident in the summer when I tried for Ferrari, but the time now is enough to have healed completely. I can do everything I used to do, and no problem."
Brawn said he now had one of the best driver line ups in F1 and was confident Schumacher could challenge for the title next year.
"[Schumacher] is the best judge of what he can do," Brawn said. "I trust him explicitly and he told me he can do it. He has always been his own best critic, the man himself knows what he is capable of. I am very comfortable and confident and put my trust in Michael, and it won't be misplaced."
Brawn won both drivers' and constructors' titles in 2009 with Jenson Button, but the British driver left the team last month to drive for McLaren. When asked, Brawn denied Button was pushed out of the team to make space for Schumacher.
"We made a good effort to try to find a solution with Jenson and it didn't work out," he said. "Jenson made his decision in the end not to stay. We made a big effort to keep him but it wasn't possible in the end.
"It overlapped to be honest. I had a loyalty to Jenson but when that started to look difficult I started talking to Michael, and things developed from there. Michael and I kept very close over the years and I saw from his disappointment over the summer, when he couldn't drive a Ferrari, how much passion he still has for the sport. We're incredibly excited now about the prospect of Michael being part of the team."
Although initially for one year, the deal is thought to allow Schumacher a chance to renew, should his comeback be as successful as many expect. Mercedes is likely to be covering its bases with the big-name signing, until Sebastian Vettel is free from his Red Bull contract in 2012.
ARTICLE LINK - http://en.espnf1.com/mercedes/motorsport/story/5588.html (http://en.espnf1.com/mercedes/motorsport/story/5588.html)
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3.3 million per year ? he must really want to drive again.
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Now Ralph wants a drive. He was quick enough
but his attitude was really bad.
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I saw this on the news HOLY SHIT!! Dakar Rally now that's racing, fucking truck went down the hill.
Rally Dakar 2010 arranca el 1 de enero (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKqsB5sm0VE#)
EPIC!!
Dakar Rally - Trucks (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xiOlymvt46s#)
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Massa helps kick off new F1 season
Associated Press
VALENCIA, Spain -- Ferrari driver Felipe Massa returned Monday to a competitive Formula One car for the first time since a life-threatening crash last summer and promptly set the fastest time in the season's debut test session.
Massa led the seven-car field with a best lap time of 1 minute, 12.574 seconds from 102 laps at Valencia's Cheste Circuit. That left him just over two-tenths of a second faster than Pedro De la Rosa of Sauber.
Massa said he felt "zero afraid" as he returned for the first time since undergoing lifesaving surgery following a freak crash at the Hungarian Grand Prix in August. (http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/racing/f1/news/story?id=4876380)
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ARCA debut to dictate Danica's plans
Associated Press
NEW YORK -- Danica Patrick could win her stock car debut at Saturday's ARCA race at Daytona and still decide to bypass the Nationwide Series opener there a week later.
"[Winning] doesn't mean that I'm ready for that race," the IndyCar star said Wednesday. "Maybe I didn't get put in very many tough situations."
Patrick joked that she was giving herself "a get out of jail free card." She won't commit to any particular yardstick of what it would take to convince her to make her NASCAR debut in the second-tier series Feb. 13 at Daytona International Speedway. (http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/nascar/nationwide/news/story?id=4883595)
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Danica meets goal with Nationwide nod
By David Newton
ESPN.com
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- The Danica Patrick circus at Daytona International Speedway will continue with the IndyCar Series driver making her NASCAR debut in Saturday's Nationwide Series race.
"To be the one driving that [GoDaddy.com] car at Daytona means a lot to me,'' Patrick said Monday in a news release. "Racing in the Nationwide Series was my goal during this entire two-month preparation process, but we wanted to make sure it was the right thing to do.''
Patrick made the decision after finishing sixth in her ARCA debut Saturday at Daytona. She will be guaranteed a spot in the field using the points from CJM Racing's No. 11 team that finished 15th in points last season.
ESPN.com reported Patrick's decision Sunday.
"The ARCA race was a blast, and I'm not ready for my first Daytona Speedweeks to end just yet,'' Patrick said. "I want more racing.'' (http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/nascar/nationwide/news/story?id=4896694)
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Lotus unveils car for return
Associated Press
LONDON -- Lotus team principal Tony Fernandes believes the iconic company's return to Formula One after 16 years can help unlock untapped revenue streams in Asia.
Fernandes, who owns Air Asia airline, unveiled the Malaysian-backed team's car that will start the 2010 championship in Bahrain next month.
"Formula One has been really inaccessible and seemed elitist," Fernandes said Friday at the London launch. "It's a fantastic time to come into Formula One because it's not a global sport yet -- you can have tracks all over the world but it really is just a European sport.
"And the revenue they are getting is primarily from Europe, North America hasn't worked yet and Asia is a huge potential market. Having Lotus with Malaysian backing will really help to spread the sport in Asia," Fernandes added.
While Lotus' $86 million annual budget will be funded by a partnership between the Malaysian government and a consortium of the country's businessmen, Fernandes is freezing plans to move the team from its car factory in Norfolk, England.
Fernandes has revived the Lotus brand, which won 79 F1 races and seven constructors titles between 1958 and 1994 before the team collapsed because of money problems.
"It will be great to take Lotus back to where it belongs," said Italian driver Jarno Trulli, who finished eighth last season with Toyota. "We've got a very hard task ahead of us but that's what we are here for."
With Trulli and former McLaren driver Heikki Kovalainen in the lineup, Lotus is returning as one of four new teams on the grid this season, along with Virgin, Campos Meta and USF1.
Trulli and Kovalainen will be at the test sessions from Feb. 17-20 in Jerez, Spain, and at the Catalunya Circuit in Barcelona from Feb. 25-28.
Lotus is just hoping both of its drivers finish the season-opening race at the Bahrain Grand Prix on March after building a car in only two months.
"We had to compromise in the design, you can't make things as light as you want to because you just don't have time," said technical director Mike Gascoyne, who has held the same role with Force India, Toyota, Renault and Jordan. "One target we have set ourselves is to be the best of the new teams.
"At the end of the season, we need to be racing the second half of the established teams and maybe nicking some points to build for the year after," he said.
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Combined team to field one car
Associated Press
Gil de Ferran wants back in the IndyCar series -- this time, as a team owner. Jay Penske wants to beat his father on the racetrack.
Now they're working toward those goals together.
De Ferran announced Tuesday that he is merging his startup IndyCar team with Luczo Dragon Racing, an established team co-owned by Penske -- a son of racing mogul Roger Penske -- and technology executive Steve Luczo.
They're starting small, fielding one car for Raphael Matos, who won series rookie of the year honors driving for Luczo Dragon last year. Eventually, they hope to use technological innovation to go after Penske Racing and fellow IndyCar heavyweight team Chip Ganassi Racing.
"The goal is to be as good as them, if not better," de Ferran said on a teleconference Tuesday. (http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/racing/indycar/news/story?id=4919370)
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Barrichello fastest at penultimate test
Associated Press
JEREZ, Spain -- Rubens Barrichello of Williams set the fastest time despite more poor weather hampering teams' Formula One preparations on Thursday.
Barrichello's time of 1 minute, 27.145 seconds came during one of the few dry moments at the Jerez Circuit, as rain continued to spoil track conditions at the preseason's penultimate test.
Vitaly Petrov of Renault was nearly seven-tenths of a second behind in second, while Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel, Nico Rosberg of Mercedes GP and Ferrari's Felipe Massa rounded out the top five.
Virgin Racing had its most productive day yet as Timo Glock managed 72 laps. Fellow newcomer Lotus had problems as Heikki Kovalainen lost his front wing after running off the track into a tire wall.
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Branson confident Virgin will contend
Associated Press
BARCELONA, Spain -- Virgin Racing owner Richard Branson believes Formula One needs new teams despite recent criticism over whether the rookies will make the season-opening race in Bahrain.
Branson expects Virgin to eventually give Ferrari, which has been critical of F1's decision to allow four new teams onto the grid, "a run for their money."
Branson believes Virgin, which alongside fellow rookie Lotus is testing in Barcelona this weekend, will show a private team on a smaller budget can compete. Campos Meta and USF1 are also hoping to reach the March 14 opener.
Branson says he preferred to start "from scratch" and build a new team than continue working with last year's championship winner Brawn GP, which was eventually bought out by Mercedes.
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Hamilton, Webber lead final F1 test
Associated Press
BARCELONA, Spain -- McLaren, Red Bull, Ferrari and Mercedes GP confirmed their positions as front-runners for Formula One's championship as preseason testing wrapped on Sunday.
Lewis Hamilton set a fastest time of 1 minute, 20.472 seconds for McLaren to edge Red Bull's Mark Webber by just over two-hundreths of a second.
Felipe Massa of Ferrari was third ahead of Force India's Adrian Sutil, with Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel fifth. Michael Schumacher of Mercedes was sixth as the top drivers were separated by less than three-tenths of a second.
Rubens Barrichello of Williams and Sauber's Kamui Kobayashi finished within half a second of Hamilton.
Most teams practiced low-fuel runs for the best indicator on pace heading into the season-opener at Bahrain on March 14.
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Hamilton to run three races
Associated Press
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Veteran driver Davey Hamilton will run three IndyCar Series races for Luczo Dragon Racing.
The racing team announced Wednesday that it will add a second car, and Hamilton will compete in the Indianapolis 500, the Bombardier Learjet 550 at Texas Motor Speedway and another oval race.
He joins 2009 rookie of the year Raphael Matos as the Luczo Dragon drivers. This will be Hamilton's first multi-race IndyCar schedule since he retired with injuries in 2001 following a crash at Texas Motor Speedway.
He endured 21 surgeries to reconstruct his feet but has competed in the last three Indy 500s.
Hamilton will race in Texas on June 5 for the first time since the accident.
He was the series runner-up in 1997 and 1998.
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No replacement allowed for US F1
Associated Press
PARIS -- USF1 will not be racing in Formula One this year and its place on the grid will not be given to another team.
"The USF1 Team have indicated that they will not be in a position to participate in the 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship," the sport's governing body said in a statement Wednesday. "Having considered the various options, the FIA confirms that it is not possible for a replacement team to be entered for the championship at this late stage."
The American team, one of four planned newcomers for 2010, had previously said it was looking to skip just the first four races of the season.
The decision dashes the hopes of Serbian team Stefan GP of taking USF1's place, having waited in the wings with the cars from the defunct Toyota team.
FIA added that it would soon announce details of "a new selection process to identify candidates to fill any vacancies existing at the start of the 2011 season."
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Moss injured in elevator shaft fall
Associated Press
LONDON -- Former Formula One driver Stirling Moss has broken both ankles and hurt his back in a fall down an elevator shaft at his London home.
The 80-year-old Briton was taken to the Royal London Hospital on Saturday after falling three floors.
A statement on Moss' Web site says he stepped through the open elevator door without noticing the elevator had malfunctioned and stopped on the floor above.
Moss broke four bones in a foot and chipped four vertebrae but did not lose consciousness. The statement says his "body still has the same resilience to injury as it did in his racing days."
Moss won 16 Grand Prix races but never the world championship. He was runner-up four times.
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Patrick, Duno, two rookies to race
Associated Press
SAO PAULO -- Ladies, start your engines.
Danica Patrick will be among four women on the IndyCar grid of the season opener Sunday in Brazil, a record number to start a series race.
Patrick will race with Milka Duno of Venezuela and rookies Simona de Silvestro of Switzerland and Ana Beatriz Figueiredo of Brazil. American Sarah Fisher is set to run on a limited schedule this year, but she will not be in the opener.
Patrick applauded the number of women racing on the streets of Sao Paulo, but said it's not happening because of her.
"I don't look at it like I'm responsible for it," Patrick said. "Everyone that gets to this level -- male or female -- carved out their own path, one way or another, and is here for a reason.
"I'm happy about anything that brings attention to our series and pulls in more interest." (http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/racing/indycar/news/story?id=4990428)
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Power wins rain-shortened race
Associated Press
SAO PAULO -- Will Power made a late overtaking move to take the lead from Ryan Hunter-Reay to win the rain-shortened IndyCar season opener on the streets of Sao Paulo on Sunday.
The Australian passed the American with three laps to go, clinching the inaugural Sao Paulo Indy 300 for his second career victory.
Power crossed the line 1.858 seconds ahead of Hunter-Reay when the race ended at the two-hour time limit with only 61 of the 75 scheduled laps completed. (http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/racing/indycar/news/story?id=4994747)
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Monza gets F1 deal extension
Associated Press
MONZA, Italy -- Italy's Monza circuit will stage grand prix races until 2016 after Formula One rights holder Bernie Ecclestone agreed to a contract extension with the venue.
Monza has hosted races since 1922 but its place in the race calendar was threatened by a proposed race around the streets of Rome.
An existing deal to host the Italian Grand Prix was to end in 2012.
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Castroneves excited about St. Pete
Associated Press
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- If there was a low moment for Helio Castroneves during last year's tax-evasion trial that threatened to end his racing career and send him to jail, it likely came during the Honda Grand Prix.
It's one of Castroneves' favorite races. And fighting for his freedom kept him from sitting behind the wheel that weekend.
On Sunday, he'll be back, starting fifth in the race on the 1.8-mile, 14-turn street circuit. His Penske Racing teammate Will Power, easily the dominant driver in St. Pete so far this weekend, will be on the pole.
Still, it's a course that suits Castroneves perfectly, proven by his IndyCar victories here in 2006 and 2007, and runner-up finish in 2008.
And to say he appreciates this return to the waterfront layout is putting it mildly.
"Big time. Big time," Castroneves said Saturday. "The fans are happy to see me back, they say 'We really missed you here last year.' Those kind of words make you appreciate even more what you do, what you did, and I appreciate what the fans are doing for me. I missed everyone, too. I love this town."
Given his track record in St. Pete, it's easy to see why.
Of course, it's becoming a fast favorite for Power, too.
Power won the season-opener two weeks ago in Sao Paulo, was the best in every IRL practice session Friday and Saturday, and had the best lap time in the final round of qualifying by more than a quarter-second over Tony Kanaan.
It's the third time Power will start from the pole.
"Obviously, the race is what counts," Power said. "I can see that there'll probably be a bit of mayhem tomorrow, with the weather and so on."
Rain is in the forecast for Sunday afternoon. Scott Dixon will start third, on the inside of Justin Wilson. Row 3 will have Castroneves and Marco Andretti.
Among other notables, Dario Franchitti will start 13th, Dan Wheldon opens 15th, 2008 St. Pete winner Graham Rahal will start 16th in Sarah Fisher's No. 67 car, and Danica Patrick starts 21st.
Castroneves' bad break a year ago was Power's good fortune.
Power was hired by Penske to be Castroneves' replacement in St. Petersburg in 2009, a defacto tryout that blossomed into something more. Power -- now recovered from an August crash that left him with four broken bones in his back -- gave Team Penske a win in this year's season-opening race in Sao Paulo two weeks ago.
"My friend here, Mr. Power, he has too much power," Castroneves said after qualifying. "Breaking his back last year gave him a little more power. So we might break his legs next time. But certainly, he's done a great job. We want him to obviously keep doing well, but we can't let him get too many points. Otherwise, we might be in trouble."
Team owner Roger Penske raves about Power, for obvious reasons.
Power took a risk a year ago, taking a job with no guarantee of a future, given the delicate situation involving Castroneves. Somehow, it ended up working out for all parties involved.
"He fits in the team. He's committed," Penske said. "I've never seen a guy more committed to his personal health. He came back so strong physically."
And Castroneves, in turn, is duly impressed by his teammate.
"I'm actually happy for him," Castroneves said. "Last year, he started in a very awkward situation. Finished in a very frustrated situation. But Roger gave him a chance and he's proving that the guy is a real talent."
Castroneves proved that long ago, of course.
His unbelievable 2009 started in a courtroom and amid accusations that he evaded federal income taxes, later saw him win the Indianapolis 500 for the third time, and ended with him fourth in the yearlong IRL rankings.
"I'm sure it lingers in his mind as he comes to the different tracks, especially not being able to run here a year ago," Penske said. "But I think it's behind him. Legally, financially, it's all behind him. So he should be fully engaged in what we're doing."
Legally and financially, yes.
Emotionally, apparently not.
"It's never going to go away," Castroneves said. "The scars are there. The scars are going to be there forever."
So this weekend is about redemption, returning, maybe even some more healing.
Here's the best indicator of how he really feels about St. Petersburg: He might think about moving there someday. Having a baby three months ago with fiancee Adriana Henao has Castroneves thinking about if the time is right to shift his U.S. base away from the Miami area and make the four-hour drive across to southwest Florida permanently.
Nothing's imminent, but it's clear, this place is special to Castroneves.
"This brings me peace," Castroneves said. "Plus, brings me good memories, too. It's not all about racing. The good thing about racing is you get to meet and know a lot of places, a lot of towns. But St. Pete, no question, combines everything together. It's Florida. It's warm. And people seem to accept us very well."
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Shaping IRL's car of future no easy task
The Izod IndyCar Series had gained some leadership and direction in terms of determining its new engine and chassis formula for the future. But the decision remains controversial.
Spurred by the unveiling of the radical Delta Wing concept, there's been a lot of recent talk about the new chassis. But things have gone quiet on the engine front.
That is, until Roger Penske, the most successful team owner in Indy car racing history, stepped into the fray when he met with reporters at the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.
Citing cost concerns for the teams, Penske advocated introducing the new engine formula first and retrofitting it into the current Dallara chassis, which has been the default chassis of the IndyCar Series since 2003.
"Let's make each step one at a time rather than two steps at once," Penske commented. "I'm all about saving costs right now for all of the teams. I'm not sure if we change cars right now we are going to put 50,000 more people in the stands."
He added: "I don't think it changed NASCAR when we went from the old car to the [Car of Tomorrow], so we just have to look at it. Our team has probably got to have seven or eight cars, so you're talking $2-3 million, plus all your parts. I think they've got to consider that."
Indy Racing League CEO Randy Bernard has met with Penske, and he seems to be leaning toward delaying the introduction of a new technical package until 2013. It's a tricky situation to balance for Bernard:
On the one hand, public perception is that the IndyCar Series badly needs a new design to replace the aged and unpopular Dallara. On the other hand, in the current economic climate, can competitors -- even well-funded ones like Team Penske and Target Chip Ganassi Racing -- afford to make a major equipment change?
One point that shoots down Penske's argument is that the new engine formula is expected to lower engine costs, whether it is the turbocharged V-6 favored by current IndyCar supplier Honda or an inline-4 being pushed by alternate manufacturers.
Bernard is counting in particular on Gil de Ferran, who has been nominated as the team owner representative for the seven-member advisory committee chaired by retired US Air Force General William Looney.
"I think it's very important for Gil to do a team owner survey to see exactly what is important to the team owners," Bernard told reporters at St. Petersburg. "Can they afford, in this economic situation right now, to move into a new car in 2012? Do they like leasing their engines rather than owning their engines? Questions like that.
"I don't want to just shoot from the hip. We could have announced a car last week, and that would have created negative vibes among our fan base and our team owners and sponsors. We need a new car for perception, but if you look at how close some of these races are, the fans love the closeness of these races. We've got something working for us and we have momentum. We have more cars now than we have in the past four years.
"This is one chance that IndyCar can continue to build momentum by making sure this process is well done and well thought out," Bernard concluded. "If the advisory committee comes back and says we need to wait until 2013, we need to think about that."
While the chassis will provide the visual identity for the Indy car of the future, the engine is probably a more important element. Once again, a number of factors need to be considered. Obviously there is the basic format. What kind of fuel should the new powerplant use? How much relevance to street car engine technology should be part of the package?
My own transportation during the St. Petersburg race week was a 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid, a vehicle I was highly impressed by after driving it. The car's transition from electric to gasoline power was seamless and unobtrusive, performance was on par with a V-6 Fusion, and I averaged 35.5 miles per gallon in more than 300 miles of varied driving. The standard V-6 Fusion probably would have returned mileage in the low to mid-20s.
You could argue that relevance to street car technology is much more important to stock car racing. Of course, NASCAR is legendary in its refusal to adopt modern technology; its spec cars still feature carburetors some 55 years after fuel injection was introduced into Formula One, and the design of basic components such as the live rear axle date to the early '60s.
Formula car racing, on the other hand, has always been about new and advanced technology -- which often carries a higher price tag. But it also provides open-wheel racing with a bit of cache for serious gearheads who love to watch the development of the latest and greatest technology. It also offers car manufacturers an avenue to filter racing technology into their road cars and genuinely prove the adage "Race on Sunday, sell on Monday."
These are the questions the IndyCar technical advisory committee -- and ultimately Randy Bernard -- must grapple with. And with a decision on Indy car racing's future technical direction expected by June 1, time is running short.
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^ The irl should look at a couple of japanese racing series:
(http://homepage.mac.com/okamisama/.Pictures/irlakb.jpg)
(http://homepage.mac.com/okamisama/.Pictures/irling.jpg)
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Vettel atones with Malaysian GP victory
Associated Press
SEPANG, Malaysia -- Spurred by the disappointment of mechanical failures that cost him victory in the Formula One season's first two races, Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel led from start to finish to win Sunday's Malaysian Grand Prix.
After the team's championship hopes had been written off because of doubts about the reliability of its cars, Red Bull answered in the best possible way -- Vettel leading a 1-2 finish ahead of teammate Mark Webber.
Vettel led in Bahrain and Australia before his car let him down mid-race, but there was no easing up Sunday, with the German passing pole-sitter Webber in the run to the first corner at Sepang circuit and leading throughout as the rain in the forecast stayed away.
"A very good result for us, especially for me, after two races where we didn't finish where we wanted to be," Vettel said. "Racing cars are built on the limit and sometimes they break.
"We want to fight for the championship."
Mercedes' Nico Rosberg was a distant third, with Renault's Robert Kubica a comfortable fourth. Force India's Adrian Sutil took fifth, impressively holding off McLaren's Lewis Hamilton, who had stormed up from 20th on the grid to third before he pitted.
Webber gave up the lead when he spun his tires trying to get off the line and had to settle for second after a close battle into the fourth turn on the first lap. He pushed Vettel in the early laps, but that pressure eased when a stuck wheel gun made for a slow pitstop.
"A 1-2 finish for us was sensational," Webber said. "It was a nice comeback by us after some tough races. We blew everyone away, which is great."
McLaren teammates Hamilton and Jenson Button -- the defending race and series champion -- fought their way through the field from the back of the pack to finish sixth and eighth. Ferrari's Felipe Massa was seventh.
Despite not finishing better than third in any race, Massa leads the championship with 39 points, two ahead of Vettel and Ferrari's Fernando Alonso.
"Starting 21st and finishing seventh, it was a great result," Massa said. "Leading the championship is always important, looking at the many drivers that are there, fighting."
Alonso would be atop the standings if not for an engine failure on the penultimate lap as he attempted an ambitious passing move on Button.
"Always when you retire you are disappointed, but I prefer to retire when I'm ninth and not when I'm first," Alonso said. "So if I have to retire one or two times in 2010, I prefer this race and hopefully not another race that I'm in first position."
Red Bull's victory Sunday meant it was the first time in 20 years that three different teams had won the opening three races of a championship.
The closeness of the competition was reflected in the standings, with the top seven drivers separated by only nine points.
Toro Rosso's Jaime Alguersuari and Williams' Nico Hulkenberg were ninth and 10th, with both earning their first F1 points.
Mercedes' Michael Schumacher, a seven-time world champion, was forced out on the 10th lap with a wheelnut failure. Schumacher, who has a record 91 victories -- including three at Sepang -- has a disappointing nine points in three races since ending a three-year retirement.
"It's a shame. We were in a good position. ... I believe we could have had two cars in very good points," said Schumacher, referring to Rosberg's 35 points. "To be honest, I'm right on schedule, in my opinion. The car is not quite on schedule."
Williams' Rubens Barrichello was slow off the start line and never in contention and Sauber's Pedro de la Rosa was done in by engine failure on the installation lap.
Ferrari leads the constructors' championship with 76 points, ahead of McLaren's 66 and Red Bull's 61.
Next up is the Chinese GP on April 18.
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Rahal racing at Long Beach for Fisher
Associated Press
INDIANAPOLIS -- Graham Rahal's deal with Sarah Fisher Racing will last a little longer.
Rahal will drive for Fisher at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach on April 18. He was originally signed to drive in two races, the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg last month and this weekend's Indy Grand Prix in Birmingham, Ala.
In a statement, Fisher said she was "proud of where we have been able to go in such a short period of time." She will return behind the wheel of her car at Kansas on May 1.
Rahal was 12th at Long Beach a year ago.
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Drivers need better visibility
Associated Press
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia -- Veteran Formula One driver Rubens Barrichello expects this weekend's Malaysian Grand Prix to be the last before mirror placement on cars is changed to aid visibility.
Drivers have complained that having mirrors on the sidepods of the cars, to aid aerodynamics, makes them vibrate too much and provides poor rear vision.
Barrichello said Wednesday it is agreed that drivers need better visibility, "so the change could come as early as the next race."
No official announcement has been made by F1 authorities.
The change would move the mirrors back inward, onto the main body of the chassis, adjacent to the cockpit, where they would be less likely to vibrate.
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Power takes IndyCar pole
Associated Press
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Will Power fully understands how difficult it is to win in the IndyCar Series. Really, he does.
The competition is stiff, the cars competitive and the margin for error slim.
"You've got to have everything go right on the weekend now," Power said. "You can't have a bad start. You can't make mistakes or you're not going to win. It's very hard now."
Really, it is.
The Australian is just making it look easy. He will start on the pole for the second straight race in Sunday's inaugural Indy Grand Prix of Alabama at the 2.38-mile, 17-turn Barber Motorsports Park. (http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/racing/indycar/news/story?id=5073244)
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Briatore's suspension to end in 2013
Associated Press
PARIS -- Flavio Briatore will have no part in Formula One until 2013, after the sport's governing body accepted his offer to end an appeal of his lifetime ban.
The former Renault team principal was sanctioned for ordering driver Nelson Piquet Jr. to crash on purpose. Briatore will also not be allowed to take part in any FIA activities until the end of the 2011 season.
Briatore appealed after a Paris court overturned the ban in January.
FIA said it accepted the offer with its "best interests" in mind, and to end the legal disputes which "are very prejudicial to the image of the FIA and of motor sport."
Pat Symonds, the Renault team's former chief engineer, received a five-year ban for his role in the crash.
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Committee to find economical car
Associated Press
INDIANAPOLIS -- IRL executive Brian Barnhart and former Indianapolis 500 champion Gil de Ferran will help steer the IndyCar Series in a new direction.
Barnhart and de Ferran will lead a seven-member committee that is charged with finding new, innovative, cost-effective race cars.
Also on the committee are: former Formula One executive Tony Purnell; Texas Motor Speedway president Eddie Gossage; Neil Ressler, former chairman of F1's Jaguar Racing; Tony Cotman, former vice president of operations for the defunct Champ Car World Series; and Rick Long, who has helped with the development of high-performance engines since the 1970s.
Air Force Gen. William R. Looney III will issue the final report to Randy Bernard, CEO of the IRL.
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WTCC sucked so much today :(
What's your guys take on the Farfus/Menu incident? Imo, it's Farfus' fault. He didn't he room to pass him in the first place, and Menu gave him plenty of room in the turn..
Not only should they be stricter with the drivers, but they should get rid of this track next season. The track sucks and it's dangerous.
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RIP Hiromu Naruse, too soon.
According to reports, Toyota's chief test driver, 67-year-old Hiromu Naruse, has died in a crash on highway 410 near the famed Nürburgring race track in Germany. He was driving the recently spied Lexus LFA Nürburgring Edition (above) at the time of the accident, and reports say he veered into oncoming traffic and collided head-on with two others test drivers in a BMW. The two BMW test drivers survived the crash, though one is reportedly still in critical condition. German video of the crash scene after the accident took place can be viewed below. Police are investigating the crash and have yet to determine its cause.
Naruse was heavily involved with the development of the Lexus LFA supercar he was driving, along with many other past sports cars from Toyota's history since he joined the company in 1963. Enthusiasts today call him the "Godfather of the LFA," though he was involved in the development of sports cars for Toyota going as far back as the storied 2000GT from the late 1960s.
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A motor racing executive died reportedly after an extreme S&M session with an infamous Belgian dominatrix and her assistant.
He was identified Friday as Robin Mortimer, the 58-year-old founder of RPM Motorsport, a British touring car team. He was in Belgium for this weekend's International GT Open.
Mistress Lucrezia, 46, and Mistress Juno, 38, were arrested at their villa near Brecht, Belgium, and charged with assault and battery following the death on Tuesday afternoon.
Authorities in Antwerp said he may have died after being given nitrous oxide; also known as laughing gas and used as an anesthetic to prolong sadistic sex sessions.
On her website Mistress Lucrezia warns she offers "bondage, humiliation, torture, education and cross-dressing" with sessions lasting between one hour and three days. She is said to be a regular guest of the British S&M scene.
Het Nieuwsblad newspaper reported that Mortimer's family reacted with shock when they were told of the apparent circumstances of his death.
An earlier statement from the family read: "It is understood that Robin died of natural causes in his sleep at a hotel in Belgium while traveling with his team en route to Spa Francorchamps.
"Alex Mortimer, Robin’s British GT Championship-winning son, hopes to compete in the International GT Open taking place at Spa this weekend, June 26-27, alongside Peter Bamford, in honor of his father.
"Robin’s wife Bridget, fondly known as Biddy, and Alex are grateful for the continued messages of condolence and support but respectfully request privacy at this difficult time."
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Honda Indy Edmonton is in town this weekend! http://www.hondaindyedmonton.com (http://www.hondaindyedmonton.com)
Drivers Preview Edmonton (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AkIJJ3aNjQ#ws)
Awesome, and the Indy has been extended for the next three years. (http://www.cbc.ca/sports/story/2010/07/22/edmonton-indy-private-company.html) Wonder if Danica will be there? Simona De Silvestro is heating it up!
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(http://img180.imageshack.us/img180/8273/defaultco.jpg)
Danica does it again!!! at the Edmonton Indy, finishes practically last lol
But Helio Castroneves gets cock blocked! CRAZY SHIT check it:
Indycar 2010 Edmonton Controversial Finish (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EkQ1n75nlI#ws)
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Michael Schumacher accepts penalty
Associated Press
FRANKFURT, Germany -- Michael Schumacher has apologized to former teammate Rubens Barrichello for the way he drove during the Hungarian Grand Prix.
Race stewards say Schumacher impeded Barrichello on the 66th lap Sunday. Schumacher appeared to try to force Barrichello into a concrete pit wall as the two fought for 10th place.
The seven-time world champion has been penalized 10 places on the grid for the next race, the Belgian GP on Aug. 29.
Schumacher says on his website that he reviewed what happened and agrees with the stewards. He says he did not intend to endanger the Williams driver and was "sorry" if Barrichello felt that was the case.
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Helio Castroneves says rule is vague
Associated Press
LEXINGTON, Ohio -- Scott Dixon watched Helio Castroneves move his No. 3 Honda a couple car widths to the outside entering Turn 1 at Edmonton two weeks ago, in an attempt to cutoff Penske Racing teammate Will Power.
Uh-oh Helio, Dixon thought. That's a no-no.
IndyCar officials agreed, black-flagging Castroneves for blocking with two laps remaining, a ruling that helped Dixon pick up his second victory of the season while Castroneves was bumped to 10th.
The typically affable Brazilian erupted afterward, earning himself a $60,000 fine for grabbing an official. Castroneves apologized for his behavior but still believes he did nothing wrong on the track, arguing the rule is too vague.
"The calls have been very inconsistent and I felt I should not have been black-flagged and the rules do not say that," he said. "They change. So it's sad." (http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/racing/indycar/news/story?id=5444013)
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Dario Franchitti claims win at Mid-Ohio
Associated Press
LEXINGTON, Ohio -- Dario Franchitti was preparing for a restart during Sunday's IndyCar race at Mid-Ohio when a Target Chip Ganassi crew member came over the radio with a little breaking news about friend Juan Pablo Montoya, who drives for Ganassi's NASCAR team.
"They said something like 'News flash, Montoya just won at [Watkins Glen] so it's up to you now," Franchitti said. "I thought 'Oh God, no pressure now.' "
None indeed.
Franchitti used a pair of sparkling pit stops to overtake series road warrior Will Power and capture his 25th-career open-wheel victory, tying him with Gordon Johncock for 12th all-time. (http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/racing/indycar/news/story?id=5447530)
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Ed Carpenter to drive No. 20 car
Associated Press
INDIANAPOLIS -- IndyCar veteran Ed Carpenter has signed a three-race deal with Panther and Vision Racing.
Carpenter will drive the No. 20 car in Chicago, Kentucky and Homestead. Carpenter hasn't raced since finishing 17th in the Indy 500 in May.
The 29-year-old Carpenter is winless in 100 career IndyCar starts. He narrowly missed his first victory at Kentucky last summer when Ryan Briscoe nipped him by 0.0162 seconds.
Carpenter's full-time ride at Vision Racing was shuttered during the offseason. He spent six seasons as an IndyCar regular, finishing a career-best 12th in the standings in 2009.
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Danica Patrick on board for IRL union
Associated Press
BROOKLYN, Mich. -- Danica Patrick is optimistic that the formation of a drivers association in IndyCar racing will give competitors a stronger voice in the sport.
Patrick says IndyCar drivers met at Mid-Ohio last weekend and talked about a formal alliance to give them more input on safety, competition and other issues in the sport.
"We got together as drivers and think it's a good idea to have a voice and be more professional and unified on what we want," Patrick said Friday at Michigan International Speedway.
But Patrick, who is preparing for Saturday's Nationwide series race at Michigan, wisely sidestepped a question about the need for a similar organization in NASCAR. Drivers' past attempts to form something similar to a union in NASCAR have led to conflicts with the sport's leaders.
In 1961, officials banned Curtis Turner for life after he tried to organize a union, but the ban was lifted after a few years. A subsequent attempt to organize a drivers association and boycott a race at Talladega over safety issues in 1969 fizzled out.
"I definitely don't have enough experience over here to know whether you need one or not," Patrick said. "I definitely don't want to say anything about this side of things until I have much more time under my belt."
So far, Patrick's early exploits in NASCAR have shown just how tough it is for drivers to make the transition to stock cars from another form of racing.
In five Nationwide starts this season, Patrick's best finish was 24th at Chicagoland last month.
She's maintaining humble goals, hoping to finish inside the top 20 on Saturday.
"I think my expectation levels for this race will be similar. I'm hoping for top-15, -20 finishes. I didn't quite get into the top 20 last time. I think the expectation level stays the same for this weekend, and we'll see what we can do."
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Race spectator who died called 'hero'
ESPN.com news services
LUCERNE VALLEY, Calif. -- One of the eight spectators who died Saturday during an off-road race northeast of Los Angeles had pushed children out of the way as the truck barreled toward them, according to a friend.
Derek Cox told KABC-TV in Los Angeles that Andrew Therrien, 22, sacrificed himself to save the children. He was killed in the accident.
"I owe my son's life, as well as many others," Cox said of the Riverside resident. "They were inches away from him and he saved their lives. He's a hero in my book."
Shortly after the California 200 began, one driver took a jump at high speed, hit his brakes on landing and rolled his truck sideways into spectators, sending bodies flying on a section of track that had no guardrails or anything else to keep the crowd back. Twelve people were also injured.
Those who witnessed the accident said the crowd pressed close to the track and could almost touch the trucks as they hurtled and bounced over the desert sand. (http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/racing/news/story?id=5467065)
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Loeb is kicking ass in WRC. Couple more rallies and he'll be the champ for the 7th time in a row... truly amazing. :bow:
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Paul Tracy signs two-race deal
Associated Press
INDIANAPOLIS -- IndyCar veteran Paul Tracy has signed a two-race deal to drive for Dreyer & Reinbold Racing. He will drive the No. 24 car at Kentucky on Saturday and in the race in Motegi on Sept. 18.
Tracy has competed in three races this year, including a 14th-place finish driving the No. 24 at Watkins Glen in July. He will drive for Mike Conway, who is recuperating from injuries at the Indy 500 in May.
The 41-year-old Tracy has 31 victories in major open-wheel series but has not raced regularly since 2007. He finished sixth in his last IndyCar start in Edmonton on July 25.
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Austin F1 track has focus on fans
Associated Press
AUSTIN, Texas -- Promising a fast track with sight lines that will let spectators watch most of the race from wherever they sit, the promoter for the revival of the U.S. Grand Prix said the proposed course is 3.4 miles long with 20 turns and elevations up to 133 feet.
Tavo Hellmund, managing partner of Full Throttle Productions, told The Associated Press the track will include grandstands near the start and finish line for at least 20,000 spectators with room for 50,000 or more around the rest of the track. It could cost up to $220 million to build.
Hellmund called the design "a throwback to old, classic tracks" with several turns inspired by racecourses in Europe. (http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/racing/f1/news/story?id=5518540)
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Nabil Jeffri youngest to test F1 car
Associated Press
CAMBRIDGE, England -- A 16-year-old Malaysian has become the youngest person to drive a Formula One car in an official test session.
Nabil Jeffri took part in a day of straight-line aero testing for Lotus Racing at the Imperial War Museum runway near Cambridge on Wednesday.
Jeffri says that "the first time I went out it was pretty scary." He said it took him a while to get used to the car's powerful acceleration and braking.
Jeffri also took part in pit stop practice.
Team owner Tony Fernandes said Jeffri "repaid my faith in him and has performed incredibly well."
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Felipe Massa's start under investigation
Associated Press
PARIS -- The world governing body of motorsports has opened an investigation into Ferrari driver Felipe Massa's start at last weekend's Formula One Belgian Grand Prix.
A FIA spokeswoman said Friday it is trying to find out how Massa started the race ahead of his designated spot on the grid without it being noticed until amateur footage was posted on the Internet.
It was unclear whether the Brazilian driver could lose his fourth-place finish.
In another case, Ferrari will face a disciplinary hearing next week after it was found guilty of breaking team-ordered rules at the German Grand Prix.
Ferrari was already fined $100,000 after Massa appeared to let teammate and two-time world champion Fernando Alonso of Spain pass him to win the race on July 25.
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Funeral held for Peter Lenz
Associated Press
VANCOUVER, Wash. -- Family members cried and hugged each other for support as pallbearers carried the casket of 13-year-old motorcycle racer Peter Lenz after his funeral Friday at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Vancouver.
Lenz was killed Sunday when he fell off his motorcycle and was run over by another rider at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in a warmup for a U.S. Grand Prix Racers Union event.
Autopsy results confirmed Lenz died of multiple blunt force trauma. He is the youngest driver or rider to be killed at the 101-year-old speedway.
Lenz earned an "expert" license at age 11 from the American Federation of Motorcyclists. In March 2009, he became the youngest rider to win an AFM race. Lenz had four wins in the Grand Prix series this year.
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Pippa Mann dominates at Kentucky
Associated Press
SPARTA, Ky. -- Pippa Mann became the second female driver to win an Indy Lights race, dominating the 100-mile event at Kentucky Speedway on Saturday night.
Mann started from the pole and led all 67 laps to pick up her first career win, beating James Hinchcliffe by 6.83 seconds. Series points leader J.K. Vernay was third.
The 27-year-old driver from England joins Ana Beatriz as the only female drivers to win in IndyCar's main development series. Beatriz won at Iowa and Nashville in 2009.
"I joked yesterday that I hoped to run away and hide [but] I didn't think that was going to happen," Mann said. "I just got my legs underneath me and started running and started pedaling and I guess nobody could catch me."
Mann nearly won at Chicagoland last week but was nosed out at the finish by Hinchcliffe.
"I was really disappointed, but you know, Hinch beat me fair and square," Mann said. "I was like 'OK, I'm going to come back and I'm going to beat you."
Danica Patrick is the only female driver to win an IndyCar race, taking the checkered flag at Motegi in 2008.
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Helio Castroneves gets 2nd official win
Associated Press
SPARTA, Ky. -- Helio Castroneves crossed the finish line in front.
This time it counted.
The IndyCar star won the Indy 300 at Kentucky Speedway on Saturday night, squeezing the last 53 laps out of one tank of fuel and then taking advantage when the leaders were forced to make last-second pit stops to fill up.
It was the second victory of the season for Castroneves, at least officially. (http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/racing/indycar/news/story?id=5535152)
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Dani Pedrosa wins at San Marino
Associated Press
MISANO ADRIATICO, Italy -- Dani Pedrosa won the San Marino Grand Prix from the pole Sunday in a race overshadowed by the death of a rider in the Moto2 event.
Pedrosa, of Spain, finished in 44 minutes, 22.059 seconds. He was 1.9 seconds ahead of MotoGP standings leader Jorge Lorenzo of Spain and 3.183 seconds faster than defending world champion Valentino Rossi.
Lorenzo stays top of the standings with 271 points, 63 ahead of Pedrosa.
Shoya Tomizawa of Japan died in the preceding Moto2 race after he lost control of his bike and was hit by two other riders. A statement on the MotoGP website said the 19-year-old Tomizawa died of cranial, thoracic and abdominal trauma.
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Edwards tops Pro Stock qualifying
Associated Press
CLERMONT, Ind. -- Defending Pro Stock season champion Mike Edwards raced to the No. 1 qualifying position Sunday in the NHRA's playoff-opening the U.S. Nationals with a track-record time of 6.579 seconds at 209.26 mph.
Edwards topped qualifying for the 12th time this season and 34th overall.
Larry Dixon, Matt Hagan and Andrew Hines also led their divisions in the first of six races in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs.
In Top Fuel, Dixon's track record time of 3.776 at 324.36 from Saturday stood as the quickest of the weekend, giving the three-time Indy winner his sixth No. 1 effort of the season, 46th of his career and third at the event.
Hagan claimed his third top qualifying position of the season and fifth of his career with a track-record time of 4.039 at 299.86 in a Dodge Charger.
Hines led all five Pro Stock Motorcycle qualifying sessions on his Harley-Davidson and earned his second No. 1 of the season and 28th of his career with his national-record run of 6.185 seconds at a track-record speed of 196.76 mph.
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Shoya Tomizawa, 19, dies in Moto2 race
Associated Press
MISANO ADRIATICO, Italy -- Motorcycle racing endured its second tragedy in eight days Sunday, this time at the San Marino Grand Prix.
Shoya Tomizawa became the second teenage rider to die in the sport when the 19-year-old fell and was hit by two trailing riders during the Moto2 race.
Tomizawa's crash was similar to the accident that claimed Peter Lenz last Sunday. The 13-year-old from Vancouver, Wash., died during a warmup event at the United States Grand Prix in Indianapolis, where he fell and then was hit by another rider in a U.S. Grand Prix Racers Union series event.
"Nothing has happened for two years and now we have two deaths in two weeks," said Carlo Pernat, manager of Loris Capirossi and Marco Simoncelli. "This time it is a boy of only 19 years of age." (http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/racing/news/story?id=5535998)
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IndyCar schedule to be announced
Associated Press
MILWAUKEE -- The IndyCar series will announce its 2011 schedule at the Milwaukee Mile on Friday, suggesting that racing will return to the historic track next year.
The Mile withdrew from hosting marquee racing events this year after past promoters had financial problems and no suitable replacement could be found. IndyCar CEO Randy Bernard said last month that he was optimistic that the series could return to Milwaukee.
The Mile held its first auto racing event in 1903 and is most closely associated with the Indy-style race it traditionally held the week after the Indianapolis 500.
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FIA draws line on Ferrari sanctions
Associated Press
PARIS -- Formula One's governing body decided Wednesday not to impose more sanctions on Ferrari for breaking rules on team orders at the German Grand Prix.
The FIA said in a statement after a day-long meeting that its World Motor Sport Council upheld the $100,000 fine that was imposed on July 25 at Hockenheim when Ferrari driver Felipe Massa let teammate Fernando Alonso overtake him to win the race.
The council could have stripped Alonso of the victory or docked the team points or imposed another fine. However, the FIA said that "after an in-depth analysis of all reports, statements and documents submitted, the judging body has decided to confirm the stewards' decision of a $100,000 fine."
The FIA also said it would review the ban on team orders, which was introduced following the 2002 season after Ferrari ordered Rubens Barrichello to hand victory to Michael Schumacher in the Austrian Grand Prix.
In July, Massa led 49 of 67 laps in Germany before allowing Alonso to pass him following Ferrari radio messages. Had Alonso been stripped of the race victory, he would have fallen 66 points behind current leader Lewis Hamilton in the drivers' standings.
With six races left in the season, including Sunday's Italian Grand Prix in Monza, Alonso remains 41 points behind Hamilton -- who leads with 182.
Ferrari boss Stefano Domenicali and team lawyers attended the hearing in Paris.
Domenicali has maintained that Ferrari didn't give explicit orders to Massa at the German race, although the Brazilian driver received a message from race engineer Rob Smedley saying Alonso was faster than him.
The radio message was seen as a clear order to let his teammate pass him, but Massa said after the race it was his decision to slow down.
"In my opinion this was not a case of team orders. My engineer kept me constantly informed on what was going on behind me, especially when I was struggling a bit on the hard tires," Massa said. "So I decided to do the best thing for the team."
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Sebastian Vettel not changing style
Associated Press
MONZA, Italy -- Sebastian Vettel will not shy away from attempting the same maneuver that knocked Jenson Button out of the last race if that's what is needed to go for a win in Sunday's Italian Grand Prix.
The Red Bull driver was widely criticized for crashing into his McLaren rival at the Belgian GP, an accident that took both drivers out of the points and further adrift of Formula One leader Lewis Hamilton.
But Vettel, who has repeatedly apologized to the McLaren driver over the mistake, said he will continue to go with his attacking instincts if a similar opportunity presents itself at Monza.
"Exactly the same situation never happens twice so it's difficult to say," Vettel said in an e-mail to The Associated Press. "[But] in general, Sunday afternoon is not an afternoon tea drive -- we drivers take part in a race because we obviously want to win it. Therefore you have to attack and if you wait and stay back you might miss a good opportunity."
Vettel also crashed into teammate Mark Webber in Turkey when they were heading for a 1-2 finish -- a "misunderstanding," said the German driver -- and a momentary lapse of concentration cost him victory to his teammate in Hungary.
"Generally I don't care about what people say. I have to be clear with myself. When everything goes well, people celebrate you, when you make mistakes people criticize you," Vettel wrote. "I have learned my lesson from the last two races, where I made a mistake and I am now looking forward to Monza."
Vettel also rebuked Webber's suggestion that the team will have to start thinking about backing one driver over another with only five races to go after Monza. Third-place Vettel trails Hamilton by 31 points while Webber is only three behind.
"For a driver this makes no sense -- you don't give up trying to win the championship until it's mathematically impossible," Vettel said. "For the team it makes no sense to favor one if that means penalizing the other because you need both drivers scoring maximum points to win the constructors' championship. With two drivers close in the championship it is too dangerous to choose."
Vettel has taken seven of Red Bull's 12 pole positions this season but has only managed two wins to Webber's four. But the 23-year-old Vettel said the many near-misses hasn't boiled over into frustration.
"For sure I have enjoyed the season although it hasn't been always easy -- but I like the challenge," Vettel said. "Otherwise we would get bored."
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Michael Schumacher says he can help
Associated Press
MONZA, Italy -- Michael Schumacher believes he's the perfect person to help Formula One's governing body clarify the sport's disputed rule about team orders.
Schumacher was the beneficiary of the infamous team order Ferrari gave to Rubens Barrichello in 2002, telling him to cede victory to the seven-time champion on the final straight of the Austrian Grand Prix.
That led to a ban on team orders, which Ferrari broke at this season's German GP when Felipe Massa let Fernando Alonso pass him for victory. Governing body FIA decided Wednesday not to dock the Italian team any points, but said it will review the regulation.
Schumacher says being part of the review "would be ideal."
Most drivers at the Italian GP on Thursday agreed the rule needed to be amended.
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Homestead off 2011 schedule
Associated Press
MIAMI -- Homestead-Miami Speedway is off the 2011 Indy Racing League schedule, a decision that some of the series' top drivers are not thrilled about.
IndyCar CEO Randy Bernard confirmed Wednesday that Homestead is not among the venues selected to host a race next year. Homestead was IRL's traditional opening site for much of the past decade, hosted the series championship-deciding finale in 2009 and will be where the final race of this year takes place on Oct. 2.
The IndyCar finale is expected to move to Las Vegas for 2011.
"We want to partner with tracks that are willing to promote and market IndyCar as we grow our sport," Bernard said. "While Homestead has been a good track, currently our objectives are not aligned. IndyCar must do what is in the best of interest of IndyCar going forward, and we are confident the partners and promoters we have will work very hard to help advance the series."
Bernard did not divulge any other schedule details, other than saying "We have chosen to move away from Homestead." IndyCar will release the full 2011 schedule on Friday.
Homestead-Miami officials said they planned to respond after Friday's schedule release. (http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/racing/indycar/news/story?id=5547714)
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McLaren says team rules 'more muddy'
Associated Press
MONZA, Italy -- While Formula One welcomed a review of the team orders rule, leading teams were confused by FIA's decision to let Ferrari escape with just a fine for breaking the regulation at the German Grand Prix.
McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh said that clarity was needed after the governing body ruled the Italian team had used the illegal order but failed to impose further sanctions due to the "uncertainty and complexity surrounding the ban ... and the difficulties of detecting and policing."
"We don't have clarity -- if anything it's more muddy," Whitmarsh said Friday at the Italian GP. "[Ferrari] are either guilty and should be given a penalty, or they're not guilty and should be given back the fine they received."
Ferrari was fined $100,000 for using coded messages to get Fernando Alonso to pass Felipe Massa in a 1-2 finish in Hockenheim.
FIA said in its final ruling that "there were many examples of what could have been said to be team orders in F1 in recent years, and therefore there has been inconsistency in its application."
The rule was introduced in 2002 following a backlash from Ferrari for ordering Rubens Barrichello to let Michael Schumacher pass on the final straight and win the Austrian GP.
F1 teams Williams and Sauber had both written to FIA's World Motor Sport Council in support of Ferrari, while most drivers on Thursday said FIA's decision to review the ban was welcomed.
But Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said FIA had set a "precedent" for the last six races of the season as teams had free range to order drivers around.
"Other than the financial penalty at the event [there is] no effect on their performance," Horner said. "So if any team was in that situation and wished to move their cars around, or needed to, then a precedent has been set."
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The Glen dropped from 2011 schedule
Associated Press
WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. -- The IndyCar Series has ended its six-year run at Watkins Glen International, dropping the race from the 2011 schedule.
"We just finished it up. We've been working with them for a long time, but we've moved down the road," WGI president Michael Printup said Thursday. "They're trying to juggle a schedule, we're trying to juggle our schedule, and it was just a matter of trying to put it all together.
"I don't think it was any one thing in particular, it was everything combined," Printup said. "Unfortunately, we couldn't make it all mesh."
The IndyCar Series also dropped Homestead-Miami Speedway from the 2011 schedule, which will be released Friday. (http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/racing/indycar/news/story?id=5550353)
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Sebastian Vettel fastest in practice
Associated Press
MONZA, Italy -- Sebastian Vettel set the fastest time in the Italian Grand Prix practice.
The Red Bull driver had the fastest lap of 1 minute, 22.839 seconds around the Monza circuit to deny local favorite Fernando Alonso the best time. The Ferrari driver was less than one-tenth of a second off the pace.
Ferrari teammate Felipe Massa was third ahead of McLaren pair Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button after the afternoon session.
Vettel finished outside of the points at the Belgian Grand Prix after crashing into Button following a mistake that also ended the British driver's race.
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Last post was about Vettel and what do you know...he's won the Formula One championship! Congrats to Vettel for not only winning but also the youngest one to win!
Vettle becomes youngest F1 champion (http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/14112010/58/vettel-becomes-youngest-f1-champion.html)
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Vettle becomes youngest F1 champion (http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/14112010/58/vettel-becomes-youngest-f1-champion.html)
HA! Take THAT Alonso! XD
Props to Vettel and to Red Bull Racing. Just goes to show that you don't necessarily have to be around for decades; a well-organized, hard-working team CAN get the job done. :thumbsup :rockon:
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Wow, a 5 years - 44 pages thread, seems that you people like racing :twothumbs
Congrats to Vettel, he deserves it and Alonso, better luck next year!!
PS: Good luck to Sergio Perez (I'm from MX)
PPS: Anyone likes rallies?
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So Lewis Hamilton is bitching about Vettel and claiming he's only winning because he has a faster car than his own.
I wonder, do you think Lewis sees the irony?
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So Lewis Hamilton is bitching about Vettel and claiming he's only winning because he has a faster car than his own.
Wow...absolutely BRILLIANT deduction there Lewis. And to think...all this time you were able to win races with a slow car....[/sarcasm]
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Le Mans 24 Hours!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jnibRyrK-o#t=19s (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jnibRyrK-o#t=19s)
ZOMG :panic:
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That crash was awful. It just goes to show you how safe today's race cars are. I bet the media guys got more scrapes due to the flying carbon shrapnel than McNish.
BTW, here's a stream in the mean time. Click on Le Mans 2011:
http://stream.speedtv.com/corvette (http://stream.speedtv.com/corvette)
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Le Mans 24 Hours!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jnibRyrK-o#t=19s (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jnibRyrK-o#t=19s)
ZOMG :panic:
holy shit, glad he's alright (this is the reason the HANS device is mandatory) :panic:
yet another year that i totally forgot about le mans :doh: (although watching the end of it now on speed channel)...to be fair tho i havent really been able to keep up with racing as much as i used to with my work schedule (didnt get to see the petit le mans or much of the le mans series, alms or rolex sports car series either)...since when did the prototype cars have to have that middle wing thingy down the center? (actually it looks like just the lmp1's that have them) :huhuh and it seems most of the protoypes have gone to closed cockpits :shocked: i remember when the aston martin speed 8's were the only ones ....man i feel so out of touch, a few years ago i was keeping up with endurance/road racing as much as i could
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My favorite F1 racer is Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikonen, but i like Lewis Hamilton too :)
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I like the red bull teams, but i think they
treat their drivers badly, 'cept tenderviddles
ofcourse.
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Alonso wins, nice to see but the
old regs apply again so...
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Random Edmonton Indy pix from July 22, 23 and 24. I went Saturday for some random practice. Think that was a driver's gf. HOT!
(http://img157.imagevenue.com/loc111/th_357500827_DSC04674_122_111lo.JPG) (http://img157.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=357500827_DSC04674_122_111lo.JPG) (http://img9.imagevenue.com/loc484/th_357525685_DSC04690_122_484lo.JPG) (http://img9.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=357525685_DSC04690_122_484lo.JPG) (http://img24.imagevenue.com/loc17/th_357553575_DSC04692_122_17lo.JPG) (http://img24.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=357553575_DSC04692_122_17lo.JPG)
(http://img166.imagevenue.com/loc16/th_357583908_DSC04700_122_16lo.JPG) (http://img166.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=357583908_DSC04700_122_16lo.JPG) (http://img219.imagevenue.com/loc655/th_357611421_DSC04716_122_655lo.JPG) (http://img219.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=357611421_DSC04716_122_655lo.JPG) (http://img179.imagevenue.com/loc508/th_357638815_DSC04723_122_508lo.JPG) (http://img179.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=357638815_DSC04723_122_508lo.JPG)
(http://img201.imagevenue.com/loc161/th_357665474_DSC04726_122_161lo.JPG) (http://img201.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=357665474_DSC04726_122_161lo.JPG) (http://img263.imagevenue.com/loc461/th_335769642_DSC04732_122_461lo.JPG) (http://img263.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=335769642_DSC04732_122_461lo.JPG) (http://img275.imagevenue.com/loc89/th_357726612_DSC04734_122_89lo.JPG) (http://img275.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=357726612_DSC04734_122_89lo.JPG)
Paul Tracy had a Make-A-Wish racing suit you can sign. Pretty dope. Here at autograph session. I hardly knew any of em. Maybe the Brazil guy Tony Kannan. XD
(http://img262.imagevenue.com/loc363/th_357746858_DSC04743_122_363lo.JPG) (http://img262.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=357746858_DSC04743_122_363lo.JPG) (http://img103.imagevenue.com/loc1145/th_357776129_DSC04744_122_1145lo.JPG) (http://img103.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=357776129_DSC04744_122_1145lo.JPG) (http://img234.imagevenue.com/loc152/th_357806119_DSC04746_122_152lo.JPG) (http://img234.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=357806119_DSC04746_122_152lo.JPG)(http://img162.imagevenue.com/loc386/th_335782653_DSC04747_122_386lo.JPG) (http://img162.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=335782653_DSC04747_122_386lo.JPG) (http://img297.imagevenue.com/loc376/th_357850105_DSC04748_122_376lo.JPG) (http://img297.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=357850105_DSC04748_122_376lo.JPG)
I saw the Japanese racer Takuma Sato and I was like "HEY!" do you like AKB48? (ehhhh) Morning Musume? Rika Ishikawa? lol I gave him a jphip business card and he pocketed it. XD
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Fuckin' hell, it was the last race of the IndyCar season too...
Dan Wheldon dies following crash
ESPN.com news services
Updated: October 17, 2011, 12:33 AM ET
http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=espn:7112200 (http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=espn:7112200)
(http://picroda.jphip.com/manlove/jphip00825.jpg)
LAS VEGAS -- Dan Wheldon, the 2011 Indianapolis 500 winner and one of the most popular drivers in open-wheel racing, died Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in a horrific multi-car crash on Lap 11 of the IndyCar Series season finale.
Officials decided to call the race, but the drivers, many sobbing openly, did a five-lap tribute to Wheldon. IndyCar Series CEO Randy Bernard made the official announcement of Wheldon's death without further comment.
"IndyCar is very sad to announce that Dan Wheldon has passed away from unsurvivable injuries," Bernard said. "Our thoughts and prayers are with his family today. IndyCar, its drivers and owners, have decided to end the race. In honor of Dan Wheldon, the drivers have decided to do a five-lap salute to in his honor."
Wheldon, 33 and the 2005 series champion from Emberton, England, was competing in only his third IndyCar race of the season, trying to win the race and earn a $5 million bonus that was part of a league promotion for driver who didn't compete full-time in the series this year.
Wheldon was the only driver to accept the challenge. This year's Indy 500 was the second time Wheldon had won the prestigious event. He also won it in 2005.
Wheldon was expected to replace Danica Patrick next season in the Go-Daddy-sponsored car for Andretti Autosport. Patrick is moving to NASCAR full-time in 2012.
Wheldon was airlifted from the Las Vegas track at 1:19 p.m. local time Sunday and taken to University Medical Center, becoming the first IndyCar driver to die on the track since rookie Paul Dana was killed in practice on the morning of race day at Homestead-Miami Speedway in 2006.
"One minute you're joking around at driver intros. The next, Dan's gone," said Dario Franchitti, whose wife, actress Ashley Judd, had to bring him a box of tissues. "I lost, we lost, a good friend. Everybody in the IndyCar series considered him a friend. He was such a good guy. He was a charmer."
Three other drivers, including championship contender Will Power were injured in the wreck.
The race was only minutes old when Wheldon, who started at the back of the 34-car field and was in position for a $5 million payday if he had won, couldn't steer clear of a wreck that started when two cars touched tires.
Within seconds, several cars burst into flames and debris covered the track nearly halfway up the straightaway. Some points of impact were so devastating workers had to patch holes in the asphalt.
Video replays showed Wheldon's car turning over as it went airborne and sailed into what's called the catch fence, which sits over a barrier that's designed to give a bit when cars make contact. Rescue workers were at Wheldon's car quickly, some furiously waving for more help to get to the scene.
"I'll tell you, I've never seen anything like it," Ryan Briscoe said. "The debris we all had to drive through the lap later, it looked like a war scene from Terminator or something. I mean, there were just pieces of metal and car on fire in the middle of the track with no car attached to it and just debris everywhere. So it was scary, and your first thoughts are hoping that no one is hurt because there's just stuff everywhere. Crazy."
Also injured in the crash were JR Hildebrand and Pippa Mann. Both will remain in the hospital overnight. IndyCar said Mann was being treated for a burn to her right pinkie finger and will be released Monday morning; Hildebrand was awake and alert but will be held overnight for further evaluation. Power was evaluated and released. An autopsy was planned Monday for Wheldon.
The accident appeared to start when Wade Cunningham's car swerved on the track and Hildebrand drove over the left rear of Cunningham's car. Hildebrand appeared to go airborne, and Cunningham's car shot up into the wall, setting off a chain reaction among the cars behind him.
Some of those cars slowed, others didn't, and others spun in front of Wheldon and Power. There was so much chaos on the track it was hard to tell who was driving what car.
Power appeared to fly over Alex Lloyd's car, rolling into the catch fence and landing on its right side. His in-car camera showed one of the front tires coming toward him in the cockpit.
Wheldon then appeared to drive over a car driven by Paul Tracy, who seemed to be slowing down. Wheldon, however, went airborne and spun into the fence.
The track was red-flagged following the accidents while crews worked on fences and removed smashed cars.
"There are no words for today," Patrick tweeted. "Myself and so many others are devastated. I pray for suzi (Wheldon's wife) and the kids that god will give them strength."
Wheldon, who came to the United States from England in 1999, won 16 times in his IndyCar career and was the series champion in 2005.
Despite winning this year's Indy 500, Wheldon couldn't put together a full-time ride this season. He landed in this race thanks to Bernard's promise of $5 million to any moonlighting driver who could win the IndyCar season finale at Vegas. Although there were no takers, Bernard refused to scrap the idea and Wheldon was declared eligible for the prize.
Drivers had been concerned about the high speeds at the track, where they were hitting nearly 225 mph during practice.
"We all had a bad feeling about this place in particular just because of the high banking and how easy it was to go flat. And if you give us the opportunity, we are drivers and we try to go to the front. We race each other hard because that's what we do," driver Oriol Servia said. "We knew if could happen, but it's just really sad."
Asked about speed after the crash, Wheldon's former boss Chip Ganassi said, "There'll be plenty of time in the offseason to talk about that. Now is not the time to talk about that."
And Franchitti, who clinched the 2011 IndyCar title Sunday, said: "I agree. We'll discuss that and sort it out."
The race was ruled incomplete, and IndyCar officials ruled that the championship points would include races up through the Kentucky Indy 300 on Oct. 2. Franchitti held an 18-point lead over Power entering Sunday's race.
The accident spoiled what Bernard had hoped would be a showcase event for the struggling IndyCar Series.
The second-year CEO worked the entire season on turning the finale into a spectacle, and said he'd offer his resignation to the IndyCar board of directors if ABC's broadcast didn't pull a .8 ranking. His goal was to improve upon last year's season finale's horrible television rating and give the series some momentum for what's hoped to be a strong season in 2013 with the introduction of a new car and new manufacturers.
So Bernard poured everything into Las Vegas, renting the speedway from owner Bruton Smith and agreeing to promote the event himself. He landed enough sponsorship to at least break even on race, and the $5 million challenge bought him an enormous amount of publicity the entire year.
Bernard got the Las Vegas Strip to close to stage a parade of cars, hosted industry parties and a blackjack tournament all to boost interest in the race. He even got MGM Grand Resorts to offer a pair of tickets to anyone staying this weekend in one of the chain's 14 properties.
But what was hoped to be a day of celebration quickly turned somber.
When drivers returned to the track for the tribute laps, Wheldon's No. 77 was the only one on the towering scoreboard. Franchitti sobbed uncontrollably as he got back into his car for the memorial ride. The sound of "Danny Boy" echoed around the track, followed by "Amazing Grace." Hundreds of crew workers from each team stood at attention in honor of Wheldon.
"What can you say? We're going to miss him," Ganassi said. "Everybody in IndyCar died a little today."
Information from ESPN.com senior writer Terry Blount and The Associated Press was used in this report.
FULL ARTICLE LINK (contains other comments as well as a photograph of the crash) - http://espn.go.com/racing/indycar/story/_/id/7111712/dan-wheldon-injured-fiery-indycar-crash-las-vegas (http://espn.go.com/racing/indycar/story/_/id/7111712/dan-wheldon-injured-fiery-indycar-crash-las-vegas)
ESPN SportsCentre report -
http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=espn:7112483 (http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=espn:7112483)
RIP Dan Wheldon.
:prayers:
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holy shit that crash is...no words. What a loss, RIP Dan Wheldon.
and he's a regular on the Edmonton Indy scene too.
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HOLY SHIT! anyone watch Daytona 500?? Fire balls, squeegees pile ups.
2012 NASCAR Daytona 500 Juan Pablo Montoya crashes into jet dryer under caution (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wr_CHm_33U#ws)
Good thing everyone safe that be some crazy ass shit.
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WHOA!! Edmonton Indy 2012 in the books what a tight ass race like yo name was http://aibutt.com (http://aibutt.com) Helio Castroneves finally wins!! LMFAO so animated spider-manning the fence
(http://i.imgbox.com/abdpuK4r.jpg)
And the Japanese dude I hung with, Takuma Sato finished second his best YET! WILL POWER STEP YO GAME UP!! slipping to 3rd but hey, he went from 17 to 3rd pretty dope.
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Gangnam Style Kimi Raikkonen - Iceman Style (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxWXATIIjWU#ws)
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Merry Christmas, Kimi Räikkönen Style! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oe73fex_E1Q#ws)
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Nico Rosberg wins F1's crown jewel race 30 years after dad
Mark Atkinson for MSN Autos | May 27, 2013
Father-son racing dynasties aren't uncommon in racing. Look at the Andrettis, Rahals and Foyts in IndyCar, or the Petty's, Earnhardts and Jarretts in NASCAR. F1 is no different, thanks to some Hills and Villeneuves.
Now, the latest comes from Mercedes-Benz driver Nico Rosberg, who ended up winning the Monaco Grand Prix exactly 30 years after his father Keke. It was Nico's second-ever victory in F1, and his win was virtually assured when he scored the pole position during qualifying. Monaco might be the flashiest and most-watched race on the calendar, but its super-tight layout and complete lack of passing zones mean overtaking is rare at best. Basically, all Rosberg had to do was not crash...
Which he didn't do, unlike several other drivers who found out just how hard the walls are. Several cars farther down the more-money-than-talent order were playing bumper cars enough to warrant two safety car periods. The restarts behind the pace car were the only times either Sebastien Vettel and Mark Webber, both driving for Red Bull Racing, would get close and they finished in second and third respectively. Rosberg's teammate Lewis Hamilton finished fourth despite starting second.
Nico Rosberg's only other win in F1 came last year in China when he went flag-to-flag there as well. This year he hadn't finished better than fourth, but had been on pole for the last three events, so you kinda figured something positive was coming his way.
Now, whether he can actually turn this victory into a championship is a whole other conversation...
FULL ARTICLE LINK - http://www.thepassinglane.ca/2013/05/nico-rosberg-wins-f1s-crown-jewel-race-30-years-after-dad.html (http://www.thepassinglane.ca/2013/05/nico-rosberg-wins-f1s-crown-jewel-race-30-years-after-dad.html)
Man, I gotta get back into watching racing.
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Yes, but not because of this last race.
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Michael Schumacher in coma after ski accident
Seven-time F1 champion suffered injury while skiing in French Alps
The Associated Press Posted: Dec 29, 2013 1:59 PM ET Last Updated: Dec 29, 2013 10:05 PM ET
Seven-time Formula One champion Michael Schumacher was in critical condition after undergoing brain surgery following a skiing accident in the French Alps on Sunday, doctors said.
The Grenoble University Hospital Center said the retired racing driver arrived at the clinic in a coma and underwent immediate surgery for a serious head trauma.
It was not clear whether the 44-year-old Schumacher was still in a coma but the hospital statement, which was signed by a neurosurgeon, an anesthesiologist and Marc Penaud, the hospital's deputy director, said "he remains in a critical condition."
Schumacher fell while skiing off-piste in Meribel earlier Sunday and hit his head on a rock, according to a statement from the resort. Resort managers said he had been wearing a helmet and was conscious when rescuers first responded to the scene.
Earlier in the day, the Meribel resort said Schumacher had been taken to Grenoble for tests and authorities said his life was not in danger.
But the situation began to appear more serious when the resort said that orthopedic and trauma surgeon Gerard Saillant had travelled from Paris to the hospital in Grenoble to examine Schumacher. German news agency dpa said it was Saillant who operated on Schumacher when he broke his leg during a crash at the Silverstone race course in 1999.
Private skiing trip
In an email to The Associated Press, Schumacher's manager Sabine Kehm said the champion German driver was on a private skiing trip and "fell on his head."
"We ask for understanding that we cannot give running updates on his condition. He wore a helmet and was not alone," Kehm said. Schumacher's 14-year-old son was skiing with his father when the accident happened, the resort said.
As news of the accident spread, Formula One drivers used social media to wish Schumacher a quick recovery.
His former Ferrari teammate Felipe Massa, who recovered from life-threatening injuries sustained at the Hungarian Grand Prix in 2009, wrote on Instagram: "I am praying for you my brother!! I hope you have a quick recovery!! God bless you Michael."
The Twitter feed of Germany's Adrian Sutil, who drives for Sauber, read: "I hope Michael Schumacher will get well soon! All my best to him and his family." Romain Grosjean of Lotus tweeted: "All our thoughts to Schumi and his family! Hope you will recover soon .legend .Schumi."
Support also came from leading German sports personalities, ranging from the NBA to soccer. Dallas Mavericks power forward Dirk Nowitzki said his thoughts were with Schumacher, while Lukas Podolski, who plays for Arsenal in the English Premier League, tweeted: "Bad news from Switzerland: please get well soon, Michael Schumacher. All the best for you, my friend! .getwellsoon .MichaelSchumacher."
In addition to the crash at Silverstone, Schumacher was hurt seriously in a motorcycling accident in February 2009 in Spain when he suffered neck and spine injuries. He recovered sufficiently from those injuries to make a comeback in F1.
Schumacher initially retired from F1 in 2006 after winning five straight titles with Ferrari following two earlier ones with Benetton. He returned to the sport in 2010 and drove for three seasons for Mercedes without much success before retiring again last year.
FULL ARTICLE LINK - http://www.cbc.ca/sports/michael-schumacher-in-coma-after-ski-accident-1.2478473 (http://www.cbc.ca/sports/michael-schumacher-in-coma-after-ski-accident-1.2478473)
Geez, here's hoping he recovers.
RELATED LINKS -
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-25545993 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-25545993)
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1904410-michael-schumacher-reportedly-suffers-serious-head-injury-in-skiing-accident (http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1904410-michael-schumacher-reportedly-suffers-serious-head-injury-in-skiing-accident)
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1904824-updates-on-michael-schumacher-after-injuries-sustained-in-skiing-accident (http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1904824-updates-on-michael-schumacher-after-injuries-sustained-in-skiing-accident)
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^
Follow-up.
Michael Schumacher was skiing off trail when he lost balance
January 8, 2014 9:41 AM | By The Associated Press
Two minutes of footage from a camera on Michael Schumacher's ski helmet showed the Formula One great was clearly skiing off a groomed trail when he lost his balance and crashed, leaving him with critical head injuries, investigators said Wednesday.
The investigators said they have ruled out problems with his skis, trail conditions or signage. Although they would not estimate Schumacher's speed, they said it was not considered a significant factor in the Dec. 29 crash at Meribel in the French Alps.
"His pace was completely normal for a skilled skier," said Lt. Col. Benoit Vinneman.
Schumacher, 45, the most successful Formula One driver in history, is still in critical condition in a medically induced coma at a hospital in Grenoble. The impact of the crash split his helmet in two and doctors say the protective gear saved his life.
Prosecutor Patrick Quincy said experts still need to go through the footage image by image, but he said Schumacher landed 9 meters (30 feet) outside the marked trail after falling face down and striking his head on a rock.
Schumacher had been on a family vacation in Meribel, where he owns a chalet.
"Michael Schumacher is a good skier who knows Meribel," Quincy said.
Skiers and snowboarders continue to use the zone where Schumacher crashed, but say they know they need to be careful.
British tourist Steve Bovill said he always wears a helmet. Speaking from the sunny mountainside, he said, "It was an accident that could have happened to anyone."
Quincy said the investigation, which is standard after any major skiing accident, had no deadline and was intended to discover what happened, not necessarily fix blame. Without specifying, he said authorities plan to interview more witnesses.
Schumacher's 14-year-old son Mick was also skiing in their small group
Quincy said investigators would call in experts to review the footage from Schumacher's helmet cam.
The cameras, which count snowboarder Shaun White and skier Lindsey Vonn among their promoters, have become increasingly popular in adventure sports. They generally mount on the outside of the helmet or elsewhere on the body.
Footage from the devices has been used in investigations before, including the deaths of two Icelandic skydivers killed in Florida last year. In that case, the footage showed that one of the skydivers had tried to save the second just before they both died.
FULL ARTICLE LINK - http://sports.ca.msn.com/top-stories/michael-schumacher-was-skiing-off-trail-when-he-lost-balance-2 (http://sports.ca.msn.com/top-stories/michael-schumacher-was-skiing-off-trail-when-he-lost-balance-2)
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Yet another follow-up. Here's hoping things turn out well.
Michael Schumacher, former F1 champ, being brought out of coma
Former F1champ hit head on rock while skiing in Meribel, France on Dec. 29
The Associated Press | Jan 30, 2014 7:08 AM ET | Last Updated: Jan 30, 2014 7:28 AM ET
Michael Schumacher's doctors have started the process of bringing the former Formula One champion out of the coma he has been in since a skiing accident a month ago, his manager said Thursday.
The 45-year-old Schumacher suffered serious head injuries when he fell and hit the right side of his helmet on a rock in the French resort of Meribel on Dec. 29. The seven-time F1 champion has been in an induced coma in Grenoble University Hospital since then, although his condition stabilized following surgery after initially being described as critical.
And now doctors are slowly trying to wake him up.
"Michael's sedation is being reduced in order to allow the start of the waking up process which may take a long time," Schumacher's manager, Sabine Kehm, said in a statement.
One reason for reducing the sedation is to see if the swelling has gone down in the patient's brain and to assess what level of functions has been retained.
Kehm said she was only providing an update now on Schumacher's condition to clarify media leaks, and that no further details would be provided. French newspaper l'Equipe first reported on Wednesday that doctors had started waking Schumacher.
"The family of Michael Schumacher is again requesting to respect its privacy and the medical secret, and to not disturb the doctors treating Michael in their work," Kehm said. "At the same time, the family wishes to express sincere appreciation for the worldwide sympathy. ... For the protection of the family, it was originally agreed by the interested parties to communicate this information only once this process was consolidated. Please note that no further updates will be given."
Schumacher was being kept artificially sedated and his body temperature was lowered to between 34 and 35 degrees Celsius, to reduce swelling in the brain, reduce its energy consumption and allow it to rest.
Schumacher earned universal acclaim for his uncommon and sometimes ruthless driving talent, which led to a record 91 race wins. He retired from Formula One in 2012 after garnering an unmatched seven world titles.
Schumi, as his fans affectionately call him, was famously aggressive on the track and no less intense away from driving. In retirement, he remained an avid skydiver, horseback rider, and skier.
The accident happened on a family vacation in the Alps as Schumacher was skiing with his 14-year-old son.
FULL ARTICLE LINK - http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/michael-schumacher-former-f1-champ-being-brought-out-of-coma-1.2516670 (http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/michael-schumacher-former-f1-champ-being-brought-out-of-coma-1.2516670)
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Oh shit... :(
Michael Schumacher may not make full recovery, neurologists say
Legendary driver still in coma after brain injury
The Associated Press Posted: Feb 28, 2014 1:19 PM ET Last Updated: Feb 28, 2014 1:25 PM ET
Nearly two months after Michael Schumacher suffered serious head injuries in a skiing accident and was placed in a drug-induced coma, some neurologists say the seven-time Formula One champion seems unlikely to make a full recovery.
The 45-year-old Schumacher fell while skiing in France and hit the right side of his head on a rock, cracking his helmet. Doctors operated to remove blood clots from his brain but some were left because they were too deeply embedded.
Schumacher's condition stabilized after he was placed in the coma. Late last month, doctors began the process of withdrawing sedatives to try to wake him up.
His agent, Sabine Kehm, said in an email on Friday that "Michael is still in the wake-up phase" and that "this phase can be long." Schumacher's family has released few details of his condition to protect his privacy.
"It does not bode well," said Dr. Tipu Aziz, professor of neurosurgery at Oxford University who is not connected to Schumacher's care. "The fact that he hasn't woken up implies that the injury has been extremely severe and that a full recovery is improbable."
Patients who have had major head injuries are sometimes put in a drug-induced coma to give the brain a chance to heal; a coma reduces the need for blood flow and may help the swelling go down.
Aziz said doctors typically try every few days to bring someone out of a coma.
"If you don't start getting any positive signs, that becomes very worrisome," he said, adding that Schumacher's doctors are probably doing regular brain scans to look for signs of activity — though such signs may be difficult to detect if he is still being sedated.
Other experts said it was premature to make an accurate prognosis.
"About 90 per cent of the recovery is made within nine to 12 months, so this is still early days," said Dr. Anthony Strong, an emeritus chair in neurosurgery at King's College London. "The longer someone is in a coma, the worse their recovery tends to be."
Now that several weeks have passed since the accident, doctors may also have a better idea of how the rest of Schumacher's brain is doing.
"MRI scans can show any secondary deterioration in the brain structure," said Dr. Colin Shieff, a neurosurgeon at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in London and a trustee for Headway, a British brain injury charity.
He said other parts of Schumacher's brain that weren't directly affected by the accident might now be starting to show worrying signs that may not have been visible before.
Shieff said that if Schumacher does eventually come out of the coma, he probably would face significant disabilities because of the length of time he has already spent comatose.
While there have been rare instances of people emerging from comas months and years later with the ability to communicate, Shieff was doubtful that would be the case with Schumacher. He said the cases where comatose people made a surprising recovery had mostly suffered things like poisoning, strokes or failed resuscitation attempts.
FULL ARTICLE LINK - http://www.cbc.ca/sports/michael-schumacher-may-not-make-full-recovery-neurologists-say-1.2555355 (http://www.cbc.ca/sports/michael-schumacher-may-not-make-full-recovery-neurologists-say-1.2555355)
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Still not looking good on the Schumacher front, but let's try and change things up a bit so it doesn't become a total tear-fest in here.
F1 Car vs F/A-18 Hornet (Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo Feels The Force) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luH-rOYixY8#ws)
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Possible hope?
Michael Schumacher showing signs of 'awakening'
Updated: April 4, 2014 9:07 AM | By The Associated Press, cbc.ca
Michael Schumacher is now showing "moments of consciousness and awakening," more than three months after suffering serious head injuries in a skiing accident, the retired Formula One star's manager said Friday.
Schumacher, 45, fell while skiing in France on Dec. 29 and hit the right side of his head on a rock, cracking his helmet.
Doctors operated to remove blood clots from his brain, but some were left because they were too deeply embedded.
Schumacher's condition stabilized after he was placed in a drug-induced coma.
In late January, doctors at a hospital in the French city of Grenoble began the process of withdrawing sedatives to try to wake him up.
"Michael is making progress on his way," Schumacher's manager, Sabine Kehm, said in a statement Friday. "He shows moments of consciousness and awakening.
"We are on his side during his long and difficult fight, together with the team of the hospital in Grenoble and we keep remaining confident," Kehm said.
She added that she and Schumacher's family "do not intend to disclose details. This is necessary to protect the privacy of Michael and his family and to enable the medical team to work in full calmness."
Schumacher earned acclaim for his uncommon and sometimes ruthless driving talent, which took him to a record 91 race wins.
He retired from Formula One in 2012 after winning an unmatched seven world titles.
The accident happened on a family vacation in the Alps as Schumacher was skiing with his 14-year-old son.
LINK - http://sports.ca.msn.com/top-stories/michael-schumacher-showing-signs-of-awakening (http://sports.ca.msn.com/top-stories/michael-schumacher-showing-signs-of-awakening)
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Noice! :thumbsup
BleacherReport.com - Michael Schumacher out of Coma: Latest News After Release from Grenoble Hospital (http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2098432-michael-schumacher-out-of-coma-latest-news-after-release-from-grenoble-hospital)
- http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2098432-michael-schumacher-out-of-coma-latest-news-after-release-from-grenoble-hospital (http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2098432-michael-schumacher-out-of-coma-latest-news-after-release-from-grenoble-hospital)
They're not saying anything yet in regards to his current state and/or what his rehab is looking to be or what his chances of fully recovering from the accident are like, but hey, getting out of the coma's the first step!
:cow:
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Michael Schumacher heads home from hospital
September 9, 2014 7:05 AM | By The Associated Press, thecanadianpress.com
GLAND, Switzerland - Former Formula One champion Michael Schumacher has left a Swiss hospital and will continue his recovery at home, his manager said Tuesday.
The seven-time F1 champion suffered a serious head injury while skiing in France at the end of December.
"Considering the severe injuries he suffered, progress has been made in the past weeks and months," his manager, Sabine Kehm, said in a statement. "There is still, however, a long and difficult road ahead."
Schumacher was transferred to a hospital in Lausanne in June, after six months at a hospital in France. Kehm said he was now at his home in Gland, near Geneva, without specifying when the move happened or giving details about his current condition.
"We ask that the privacy of Michael's family continue to be respected, and that speculations about his state of health are avoided," Kehm said.
Schumacher's accident happened on a family vacation as he was skiing with his 14-year-old son at the Meribel ski resort in the French Alps.
The avid skier hit the right side of his head on a rock, cracking his helmet. Doctors operated to remove blood clots from his brain, but some were left because they were too deeply embedded.
Schumacher's condition stabilized after he was placed in a drug-induced coma, from which he has since emerged.
FULL ARTICLE LINK - http://sports.ca.msn.com/top-stories/michael-schumacher-heads-home-from-hospital (http://sports.ca.msn.com/top-stories/michael-schumacher-heads-home-from-hospital)
:thumbsup
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CROSS-POSTING BECAUSE JENSON BUTTON IS A LUCKY BASTAGE!!
:yep:
Model Michibata Jessica gets married to F1 driver Jenson Button
January 3, 2015
Model Michibata Jessica (30) has announced her marriage to F1 driver Jenson Button (34).
On January 1, Jessica wrote on her official Twitter, "Happy New Year from Mr & Mrs Button!" She then announced her marriage through her official Facebook account, "I would like to announce that I got married to F1 driver Jenson Button, whom I have been dating for some time now, on December 29, 2014."
Button's racing team McLaren announced the couple's engagement in February of last year. They tied the knot after dating for 6 years.
Congratulations!
Source: Model Press (http://mdpr.jp/wedding/detail/1457726)
- http://www.tokyohive.com/article/2015/01/model-michibata-jessica-gets-married-to-f1-driver-jenson-button (http://www.tokyohive.com/article/2015/01/model-michibata-jessica-gets-married-to-f1-driver-jenson-button)
- http://mdpr.jp/wedding/detail/1457726 (http://mdpr.jp/wedding/detail/1457726)
:cheers
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Geez, are the tires for open-wheel cars even usable in sub-zero temps? Or more precisely, and assuming that they didn't have a special set ordered for this, should they be trying to use them in sub-zero temps?
Watch A Formula One Car Race Through The Snow And Have Your Mind Blown To Smithereens
By Douglas Charles / 01.09.15
After watching this Formula One car, a car clearly not meant for driving in the snow, being raced around the Nürburgring Nordshleife race track by Andy Gülden, I think we’ll all realize just how stupid we are to complain about how slick the roads are when we get a little dusting of the white stuff.
Truly crazy stuff going on here…
- http://www.brobible.com/sports/article/formula-one-car-snow/ (http://www.brobible.com/sports/article/formula-one-car-snow/)
Single seater driven around Nurburgring Nordschleife in the snow! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2g6sTSbxBU#ws)
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Rp_FtFCs54
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BroBible.com - This Preteen Racing Prodigy Is Well On Her Way To Becoming The First Female F1 Champion (https://brobible.com/sports/article/juju-noda-female-formula-one-champion/)
- https://brobible.com/sports/article/juju-noda-female-formula-one-champion/
- http://www.thedrive.com/news/18781/juju-noda-is-12-years-old-and-already-driving-a-formula-3-car
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6XieLRDaIc
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BroBible.com - Porsche And Audi Are Entering F1 – Here’s What That Means (https://brobible.com/sports/article/porsche-and-audi-are-entering-f1-heres-what-that-means/)
- https://brobible.com/sports/article/porsche-and-audi-are-entering-f1-heres-what-that-means/
- https://www.instagram.com/p/CdD2TFJsGD-/